For generations, the story of Cinderella has been told as a romantic dream. But for the modern Indian woman, it’s a recurring retail nightmare. In a country where women obsess over the perfect fit for a bridal lehenga or the drape of a Kanjeevaram sari, we remain strangely indifferent to the foundation of the outfit – the feet.
Cinderella didn’t just find a prince – she found a sample size that actually existed. For millions of Indian women, that is the true fantasy.
The Case For Adaptive Fashion
While “inclusive fashion” has finally made its way into Indian apparel—with brands slowly expanding their kurta and denim ranges—the footwear industry remains stuck in a bygone era. Behind the neon signs of malls in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru lies a silent exclusion of women whose feet don’t conform to a narrow, colonial-standard of “ideal” size. From those wearing a UK size 8+ to those requiring adaptive designs, a massive demographic is being told that they simply don’t have a footprint in Indian fashion.
The “Size 8” Ceiling – In India, walk into any major footwear retailer, and you will hit a physical wall at UK Size 8 (EU 41). For the woman who wears a 9, 10, or 11, the shopping experience is an exercise in humiliation. She is often met with a dismissive shake of the head and the dreaded phrase: “Didi, isme bada size nahi aata“.
The irony is biological. As nutrition and health improve, the average height and foot size of the Indian woman are increasing. Yet, footwear manufacturing moulds (the “lasts”) remain frozen in time, catering to a “standard” that no longer represents the population. When a woman is forced to “make do” with men’s flip-flops or oversized unisex sneakers, it isn’t just a style sacrifice—it’s a dismissal of her femininity and identity.
The Width of the Subcontinent
Size isn’t the only barrier because width is the silent enemy. Many Indian women naturally have broader feet, yet the market is flooded with narrow, pointed-toe designs imported from Western templates. These shoes are often “aspirational” but anatomically aggressive.
For a woman with broad feet, the options are demoralizingly limited. She is often relegated to “aunty-style” comfort sandals—beige, utilitarian, and devoid of any aesthetic soul. The message is clear – if your feet aren’t “slender” and “dainty,” you don’t deserve the gold-strapped stiletto for a cousin’s wedding or the sleek loafer for a boardroom presentation. You are sidelined from the trends that define modern Indian life.
The Accessibility Gap
Perhaps the most overlooked group in the Indian market is women living with disabilities or age-related mobility issues. In a country where pavement quality is a daily challenge, footwear isn’t just fashion—it’s safety.
The home-grown Indian market still treats “special needs” footwear as a medical product found in a chemist’s shop, rather than a design opportunity.
Women with extended sizes often have to resort to expensive international brands (paying high import duties) or hunt for niche “big size” boutiques online that charge a premium.
Then there is the physical toll. Years of squeezing into “the biggest size available” (which is still too small) lead to a lifetime of bunions, back pain, and postural issues. It is a systemic failure where the consumer is gaslit into thinking her feet are “too big,” when in reality, the industry’s vision is simply too small.
A Step Toward Change
True inclusivity in the Indian context means acknowledging that a UK size 10 foot is just as “Indian” as a size 5. It means realising that “standard” is a myth designed for the convenience of the factory, not the comfort of the woman.
The Indian footwear industry is leaving more than 100 million+ customers by ignoring the “Big Foot” demographic. Until brands decide to break the footwear mould—literally—millions of Indian women will continue to walk through life in shoes that pinch, waiting for a fashion revolution that finally values their stride.
Authored by Avi Kumar, Founder & CEO, House of Avi. Views expressed by the author are their own.
