The Indian footwear market is changing rapidly. New brands emerge almost every day, social media can turn a product into a trend overnight, and consumers are constantly introduced to new silhouettes, collaborations, and limited-edition releases. Yet, amid this environment of constant novelty, one Mumbai-based company is taking a more measured approach to building a footwear business.
Founded by Aakanksha Rathod, CHNKS is building its identity around a simple proposition: footwear does not need to be surrounded by hype to become meaningful. Instead, the brand is focused on making sneakers that customers genuinely enjoy wearing as part of their everyday lives.
For Rathod, this philosophy goes beyond product design. It has shaped the way the company approaches growth, customer relationships, manufacturing, and its future expansion.
Choosing the Customer Over the Trend
The modern sneaker industry often places significant emphasis on launches, celebrity associations, limited collections, and social media visibility. While these strategies can create immediate attention, Rathod believes that long-term success comes from something more fundamental—giving customers a product they want to wear repeatedly.
That principle has become central to CHNKS.
Rather than developing footwear exclusively around seasonal fashion trends, the brand concentrates on versatile sneakers that can fit naturally into different aspects of everyday life. A pair of CHNKS sneakers can be worn during a daily commute, a long day at work, a weekend outing, a trip to the airport, or an informal evening with friends.
This emphasis on versatility has helped the brand establish a distinct position as an Indian Sneaker Brand focused on everyday usability rather than short-lived fashion moments.
A Bootstrapped Approach to Building the Brand
Another important part of CHNKS's story is its independent growth model.
As a female-founded and completely bootstrapped company, the business has developed without relying on external investors to determine its direction. This has given Rathod and her team greater flexibility to make decisions based on product quality and customer requirements rather than short-term growth expectations.
The result is a business model centred on patience.
Instead of launching products simply to maintain market excitement, the company evaluates what customers actually need and how existing products can be improved. Manufacturing and product decisions are therefore approached with a long-term perspective.
For a young footwear brand CHNKS, this approach has allowed product development to remain closely connected to customer experience.
Turning Feedback Into Product Development
Customer feedback plays a particularly important role in the company's evolution.
At CHNKS, feedback is not limited to resolving individual customer concerns. Suggestions and observations from buyers can influence future production runs, fit, comfort, materials, durability, packaging, and other aspects of the ownership experience.
This creates a continuous feedback loop between the brand and its community.
Instead of assuming that a product is finished once it reaches the market, CHNKS views every production cycle as an opportunity to learn. The objective is to make products customers already appreciate even better.
The success of the Affogato sneaker demonstrates the potential of this approach. The signature style has sold out and been restocked six times, with continued demand demonstrating that customers are willing to return for a product they already know and trust.
Measuring Success Through Repeat Purchases
Over the past two years, CHNKS has served more than 10,000 customers across India. Nearly 30 percent of its orders now come from repeat customers.
For the brand, these figures represent more than sales growth. Repeat purchases suggest that the relationship between customer and product extends beyond the initial purchase.
In an increasingly competitive footwear market, where acquiring new customers can require substantial marketing investment, returning customers can become one of the strongest indicators of product satisfaction.
This has reinforced CHNKS's belief that building a loyal customer base is more valuable than simply generating temporary attention.
Organic Recognition and Celebrity Visibility
Although CHNKS has not built its identity around paid celebrity endorsements, its sneakers have been worn by several well-known personalities, including Ali Fazal, Abhay Deol, Vir Das, Rohit Saraf, Saqib Saleem, Adarsh Gourav, Orry, and Gurfateh Pirzada.
For the brand, these appearances represent organic visibility rather than the foundation of its marketing strategy.
The company has also received editorial coverage from publications including ELLE, Travel + Leisure, LBB, Nod Mag, All About Eve, Times Entertainment, and Local Samosa. Such recognition has helped introduce the brand to wider audiences while maintaining its emphasis on authentic discovery.
"Better With U In It"
The philosophy behind CHNKS is also reflected in its name.
The missing "U" is intentional. According to Rathod, the brand is incomplete without the people who wear it. This thinking is captured in the phrase "Better With U In It."
It represents the company's belief that customers should have a role in shaping the brand's evolution. Their feedback, preferences, and experiences contribute to decisions about future products and initiatives.
Looking ahead, CHNKS plans to introduce new silhouettes, additional colourways, carefully selected collaborations, and stronger community initiatives. However, the company intends to maintain the same measured approach to growth.
The larger ambition is not simply to become another recognizable sneaker label. It is to build an Indian Sneaker Brand that earns a permanent place in customers' everyday wardrobes.
In a market driven increasingly by speed and novelty, the footwear brand CHNKS is taking a different route—one where comfort, quality, community, and repeat customers matter more than manufactured hype.
For Aakanksha Rathod, the real achievement may ultimately be measured not by how loudly the brand launches its next product, but by how often customers continue reaching for their CHNKS sneakers long after the launch is over.