Entertainment
By the bootstraps
These are heady days at Shikhar Shoes.Alisha Sijapati
These are heady days at Shikhar Shoes. Firmly established as one of Nepal’s leading footwear brands, the company is taking giant strides in both urban and rural markets, where they continue to grow and retain a fiercely loyal customer base. If buying high-end knock-offs of international brands was once the only option for shoe lovers, Shikhar Shoes, by introducing quality Nepal-made footwear into the mix, has veritably stirred things up. And judging by its ever-mushrooming outlets across the Capital, they are headed fast towards their namesake: the summit.
At their sprawling seven-storied production plant at Goldhunga, in Nagarjun, Managing Director, Ram Krishna Prasai, is quick to reiterate why buying local is important. “The company, today, has around a 1000 people who produce 1500 units a day; while the factory holds production capacity of 5000 per day. The company, in addition to paving a way for Nepali shoe brands, has also provided employment opportunities to hundreds in the Capital,” says Prasai.
Having started his first job as a salesman in a footwear store, Prasai recalled how difficult it was for him to gain the trust of customers and selling shoes for the brand he was working for. From his experience of working as a salesman, Prasai could see what the Nepali footwear companies were lacking and what the customers actually wanted; this led him to start his own footwear company. “During the initial years, when we started the company around 2052 BS, we faced a lot of difficulties. Nepalis were deeply rooted in the belief that international brands were better than Nepali brands. They believed that Nepali shoes were somehow below the international standard,” Prasai says. Changing the perception of people and gaining their trust towards the brand took time.
“In those days, footwear was handmade and its finesse was not up to the mark for the lack of technology. In addition, people also believed that Nepali shoes were uncomfortable and gave shoe bites. It took us some time to change the perception of people, but we got there,” says Prasai.
Shikhar Shoes stands out for its voracious branding strategies and its participation in national and international footwear expos in countries like Sri Lanka and Japan, among others. Prasai, a proponent of rigorous branding promotions, believes that, in order for a company to make its niche in the market and succeed globally or nationally, branding is the key.
Deepak Raj Giri, of Tito Satya fame, is a name synonymous to the brand itself. “By keeping a familiar and loved face such as Deepak Raj Giri as the brand ambassador of Shikhar Shoes, we were able to make a presence felt in the local market. The deal was not only beneficial for us but also proved to be worthy for the actor himself. Now, everyone relates Giri with our brand and that’s the goal we have targeted and fulfilled,” says Prasai.
Talking about branching out internationally and about the future plans for the company, Prasai says, “Plans to export our shoes to India are underway. Hopefully, we’ll get there soon. During our promotion campaigns internationally, we got accolades in Sri Lanka and things looked positive for us; whereas, during an expo in Japan, we realised we had a lot to catch up on.” Prasai also mentioned that the company may reach out in Bhutan.
With the emergence of brands like Shikhar, many other Nepali shoe manufacturers are on the rise. Although the market scenario of the Nepali footwear manufacturers has changed positively with time, all Nepali footwear brands are wary about customers purchasing international brands. “Despite the growth in terms of market, customers blindly buy expensive international brands believing that they are originals,” he claimed, adding, “It is disappointing that international brands, although high copies, hold respect for Nepalis, whereas the hard work the locals do are blatantly ignored.”