Bangladeshi people are leaning towards branded shoes due to an increase in purchasing power as well as awareness about a change of taste and quality. That is why the sales of branded shoes are increasing at an average rate of 12-15% every year. That is why many new companies are entering the business. However, despite the increase in business, a large part of the number of shoes sold throughout the year is non-branded. But still, Bangladeshi men’s shoe brands’ market share is increasing significantly. Following are the most popular men’s shoe brands in Bangladesh.
Top 10 Men’s Footwear Brands in Bangladesh
Bata
Bata occupies the top position in the brand’s shoe business. This global shoe company started their operation in Bangladesh in 1962. At present they have two factories. One in Tongi, the other in Dhamrai. These two factories can manufacture 1.6 lakh pairs of shoes daily. They have 248 outlets across the country. Further, there are more than 1500 dealer shops across the country. Although two factories in Tongi and Dhamrai produce butter shoes, shoes of different brands including Nike and Adidas are imported from outside the country. In all, around 40% of the Bata shoes are imported from abroad. Bata also sell online through their website batabd.com
Apex Footwear
Launched in 1990, Apex Footwear’s Tannery Unit was awarded the 2015 Leather Working Group (LWG) Best Quality or Gold Factory status, which is pre-requirements for large brands to buy products. Apex has a collection of about 135 shoe brands around the world. Apex founded the brand back in 1997 to sell footwear in the local market. Moreover, they are the second-largest shoe brand in the country. They occupy 7-8% of the brand’s shoe market. At present, they have about 800 own sales outlets, franchisees, and wholesale outlets across the country. Apex shoes can be found at apex4u.com.
Bay Emporium
Bay Emporium is one of the notable brands of shoes and sandals in Bangladesh. It started its journey in 1996 on the 4th floor of Shimanto Square. At present, the brand has a total of 22 branches all over Bangladesh including Dhaka. Besides shoes, it also sells belts, wallets, socks, etc. Bay also sell their footwear online through their website amarbay.com.
Orion Footwear
Orion Group’s Orion Footwear came on the market in 2015. They have already opened about 30 outlets in Dhaka and big cities. They began their journey with a slogan to “Tender Loving Care.” They started the journey with 450 unique designed shoes. Orion offers different kinds of footwear for men including, dress shoes, casual shoes, sports, summertime shoes, and more. Its website address is orionfootwearltd.com.
Jennys
Starting in 1992, Jennys is another men’s shoe brand in Bangladesh. However, they were mainly leather goods exporter company based in Bangladesh. The brand produces casual leather footwear which is handmade cement and moccasins shoes. Jennys also export shoes abroad and they already have a footprint in the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and other countries. Although they have a small portion of the market share in Bangladesh, they have proved their standard and quality in the international market. You can see the Jennys product at jennysshoesltd.com.
Walkar Footwear
A concern of the Pran-RFL group, Walkar Footwear started its business in 2017. Walker currently has 70 outlets. The factory is located at Danga Industrial Park, Narsingdi. The factory can produce around 12 lakh pairs of shoes per month. Currently, 500 people work under the Walker brand. Walkar Footwear also sells online via walkarfootware.com.
Step Footwear
Bangladeshi brand Step Footwear aims to produce comfortable shoes for men, women, and kids at an affordable price. The brand is a part of a step group of industries. For men, Step offer Sandal, Slipper, Casual shoes, and sneakers. Currently, they have more than 18 outlets across the country. Besides, a potential buyer can check out their online store at stepfootwear.net.
Lotto
Quality and trendy lotto products are the first choices of many fashion-conscious customers worldwide. Exotic Lotto shoes and sandals from the famous Italian fashion brand Lotto Footwear have also become popular among the fashion and diversity lovers of Bangladesh. Lotto Bangladesh started its journey in 2012 as the first international sports brand in Bangladesh. Currently, they have 180+ retail stores across the country and 1300 people are working for the company. They offer a wide range of shoe collections for men.
Leatherx
Leatherx Fashion & Footwear is a subsidiary of Leatherx Footwear Industry Limited. Launched in March 2000, the company is now exporting shoes to the international market. Leatherx is operated under the technical supervision of German, Italian, Korean and Japanese experts. The brand offers different types of shoes for men. While they have several outlets in large cities, you may check out the shoes online at leatherex-fashion.com.
Fortuna
Bangladeshi footwear brand Fortuna offers stylish, confident, relaxed, intelligent, and modern shoes for men. Further, they aim to provide shoes at an affordable price. From office shoes to casual, Fortuna has numerous comfortable choices for everyone. While they have around 15 stores in the country, they also sell online at fortunabangladesh.com.
Final Words
So far, we have discussed the most renowned shoe brands in Bangladesh. Even 20 years ago, Bangladeshi men knew Bata as a shoe brand. Those who did not buy Bata shoes relied on shoes imported from China, India, or Thailand. Of course, people wore fewer shoes then. But, many Bangladeshi brands have emerged over the years. So, people now have many options to buy shoes. Moreover, The size of the country’s shoe market is now around Tk 8,000 crore, which is growing at an average rate of 15% per annum. So, it is understandable that customers’ buying behavior has changed and many stylish shoes are coming to the market every day.
Source: United News of Bangladesh