Our focus is on premium comfort at accessible prices
Founded in 2021 by Prateek Singhal and Ahmad Hushsham, Yoho was born from a shared goal—to make ultra-comfortable, scientifically designed footwear accessible to Indian consumers. Blending biomechanics with style, the brand focuses on comfort-first innovation, affordable pricing, and functional design. From ergonomic footbeds to hands-free sneakers, Yoho is challenging legacy players with agility, R&D-driven products, and a growing omnichannel presence.
In this conversation with Fibre2Fashion, Co-founder Prateek Singhal shares insights into Yoho’s journey, product innovation, fit-tech solutions, marketing strategies, and future plans.
With the rise of D2C brands in India, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges for footwear startups competing against legacy players?
For a nimble and innovation driven brand like Yoho, we would say it has levelled the playing field to some extent. Today, the customers understand that they can access quality products beyond the legacy players. Thanks to aggregators and quick commerce, discovery of new brands like ours has become far easier now. The biggest opportunity lies in being able to connect directly with our consumers—understanding their needs, responding in real time, and building trust without intermediaries. Our experience says that legacy players operate on larger inventories and slower innovation cycles, while we are more agile to both innovate and adapt. However, the challenge remains in scaling sustainably while maintaining product quality and customer experience. Competing with the deep distribution networks and brand equity of legacy players requires persistence, patience and precision. There is a lot to learn and unlearn at the same time and we are focussed on our playbook.
E-commerce continues to drive a significant portion of sales but return rates in footwear remain high. What do you think are the most effective ways the industry can address sizing and fit-related issues?
In industries where size, comfort, and fit are key drivers, high return rates are a natural concern. In the footwear industry especially, comfort is personal—no two people define it the same way. “One size does not fit all” could not be truer for footwear, and fit remains the Achilles’ heel of online footwear retail.
At Yoho, while we already offer simplified returns and exchanges to address this challenge, we are also exploring tech-based solutions. One such initiative in progress is a smart size recommendation engine based on past user data, paired with a detailed foot measurement guide. Additionally, we are investing in better data capture to understand common fit issues and standardising sizing across collections to reduce guesswork.
For example, one learning from pointed-toe designs helped us refine our fit approach. Our focus this year is to increase customer satisfaction by addressing these pain points more proactively.
What inspired you to start Yoho, and how did you identify the gap in India’s footwear market that Yoho now fills?
Ahmad and I met thanks to a mutual friend. We both realised footwear was a mutual area of interest, and we both strongly felt that the Indian footwear market was saturated with uncomfortable options. For comfort, one had to shell out more money. Despite India being a major footwear exporter, we were surprised that no Indian brand seemed to be catering to the needs of Indian consumers. These conversations were the spark behind creating Yoho and providing high-quality, comfortable footwear options at affordable prices.
While the D2C footwear market today seems a bit crowded, Yoho is carving out a distinct space by championing function over flash. From day zero, our focus is on premium comfort at accessible prices, blending functionality with innovation.
What were some major challenges you faced while launching and scaling Yoho, particularly in a category that is dominated by big brands like Bata, Puma, and Relaxo?
The launch came with its fair share of challenges—but we also saw them as opportunities. One of the biggest hurdles early on was earning consumer trust in a category where brand loyalty runs deep, and purchase decisions are often driven by familiarity and past experience. Many of the brands we are competing with for mindshare and perception have built multi-generational awareness—they are household names. In many cases, a grandmother, mother, and child have all worn the same brand at different points in their lives. That kind of deep-rooted familiarity creates a natural default in consumers’ minds, especially in a category like footwear, which is so habit-driven. For a young brand like Yoho, this meant we had to work twice as hard to earn trust and attention.
Another challenge was cracking the comfort-performance equation at scale. We were not just launching another pair of shoes—we set out to redefine everyday footwear through comfort-first innovation. Building products that could meet high-quality standards, stay lightweight, and remain price-accessible required intense R&D and fine-tuning of our supply chain.
Distribution was another learning curve, especially as a digital-first brand entering a category where offline presence is still key. We had to be strategic in building our footprint and ensuring a consistent experience. Competing with giants has only pushed us to be more agile, customer-obsessed, and bold in our vision.
Yoho’s products are marketed as both stylish and supremely comfortable. Could you walk us through the research or design process behind developing your signature footbeds and soles?
At Yoho, every product starts with a single question: how can we make this the most comfortable pair of shoes or slippers you will wear all day? Style is important, but comfort is our foundation—and our signature footbeds and soles are the result of deep research, user testing, and iterative design.
We are invested in material science—our proprietary footbeds are engineered to offer multi-layer cushioning with targeted support zones—like heel impact absorption, arch reinforcement, and forefoot flexibility. Our teams study gait patterns and daily use cases to ensure that the outsole provides grip, flexibility, and lightweight wear—all tailored to the way Indian consumers actually use their shoes, whether that is walking, commuting, or standing for long hours. Every prototype goes through rounds of real-world trials across different age groups. The feedback loop plays an essential part in helping us optimise the fit before we take it to market.
Many of your products feature bold, vibrant colours and modern designs. How do you balance trendiness with functionality in product development?
At Yoho, we are very clear about our product development priorities; comfort, functionality, and wearability come first. These are our non-negotiables, and every design must align with these north stars before anything else. Once we are confident that a product delivers on these fundamentals, intelligent design and trend relevance come into play.
Our design team stays closely attuned to both global fashion trends and real-time customer feedback. This dual lens allows us to infuse bold colours and modern aesthetics into our footwear—never at the cost of comfort or usability. It is a careful balance: the outsole pattern must support your step, the material must breathe well, and the fit must endure daily wear—only then do we experiment with tones, textures, and silhouettes.
How does the hands-free mechanism in Blinc work, and what makes it unique in the Indian footwear market?
Blinc by Yoho features our proprietary SpringEase technology, an innovative hands-free mechanism that truly redefines ease of wear. Combined with elastic quick-wear laces, this system allows users to effortlessly slip in and out of the shoes without bending down or using their hands—a small but significant everyday convenience that many of our customers have come to love.
What makes it truly unique in the Indian footwear market is that this level of ergonomic design and comfort-focused technology is often only seen in premium international brands. With Blinc, we have brought that innovation to a more accessible price point, tailored to Indian consumers and conditions. The shoes offer a snug, supportive fit while remaining lightweight and breathable, making them ideal for both active and casual use.
With Blinc we have blended style, ease, and intelligent design—a combination that reflects our larger mission at Yoho to rethink what everyday footwear can be.
Technology in footwear—from memory foam to 3D-printed soles—is evolving fast. Which innovations do you believe will define the next generation of footwear products?
The next generation of footwear will be defined by smart materials and personalisation. We are seeing promising developments in adaptive cushioning and temperature-regulating fabrics—technologies that enhance comfort based on individual usage patterns. Out FootPharma Foot Pad that retains shock absorption up to 1.5 years is seeing success in the market as today’s consumers in both metro and non-metro’s have evolved and are aware. 3D printing also holds potential, not just for aesthetics or prototyping, but for scalable customisation. At Yoho, we are excited by materials science—but at our core, comfort, wearability, and function always come first!
Yoho’s product range appeals to a wide demographic—from professionals to homemakers. How do you segment and target such a broad customer base effectively?
That broad appeal is very much by design. While our core target audience is between 28 to 40 years of age, Yoho’s strength lies in offering universally relevant comfort with a touch of contemporary style. Our products are crafted to meet the needs of everyday life—whether you are a working professional, a homemaker, or someone constantly on the move.
What unites our diverse customer base is a shared desire for comfort without compromising on design. We see strong traction across both metros and non-metros, with customers appreciating our use of colour, ergonomic construction, and versatile styling. To effectively segment and target this wide base, we adopt a persona-based approach. For example, our digital campaigns may speak to the needs of the urban commuter in one context and the homemaker looking for all-day wearability in another. We also use platform-specific targeting, where we tailor content and messaging based on age, region, and lifestyle patterns—leveraging everything from performance marketing to content collaborations.
Ultimately, we believe comfort is a universal need, and when delivered with thoughtful design and accessible pricing, it transcends traditional demographic boundaries.
Can you shed light on Yoho’s manufacturing ecosystem? Are your products made in-house or through third-party manufacturers, and how do you ensure ethical production?
At Yoho, we work with specialised third-party manufacturers that have full end-to-end capabilities—from raw material sourcing to finished product—allowing us to maintain strict quality control and ethical production standards. We centralise raw material procurement and implement a robust three-level QC process, including in-line, mid-line, and on-ground inspections, as well as lot-level testing for every batch. We have also blocked dedicated capacity with select manufacturing partners, with some factories producing exclusively for Yoho. This integrated approach ensures consistent product quality, operational efficiency, and responsible manufacturing practices.
From influencer collaborations to social media marketing, what growth strategies have helped Yoho scale in a competitive D2C footwear space?
Being a digital-first brand, our growth strategy has always centred around authentic storytelling, community engagement, and innovation in digital outreach. While performance marketing has played a role in scaling our early growth, we are focused on the community at our core, not just a customer base.
One of our most impactful initiatives has been ‘Scene Hai’—a community-driven platform featuring pop-ups, open mic nights, and collaborative art projects. It was not just a marketing campaign; it is a movement to celebrate emerging talent across art, music, and culture—values we deeply align with at Yoho. We have also collaborated selectively with influencers and creators who genuinely resonate with our comfort-driven ethos, ensuring that our brand narrative stays real and relatable. As we grow offline, our marketing strategy is evolving too—we are actively incorporating BTL (Below The Line) and ATL (Above The Line) activities to amplify brand presence across retail touchpoints, transit media, and regional channels.
For us, marketing is not about loud messaging, but meaningful experiences—whether online or offline.
From influencer collaborations to social media marketing, what growth strategies have helped Yoho scale in a competitive D2C footwear space?
Being a digital-first brand, our growth strategy has always centred around authentic storytelling, community engagement, and innovation in digital outreach. While performance marketing has played a role in scaling our early growth, we are focused on the community at our core, not just a customer base.
One of our most impactful initiatives has been ‘Scene Hai’—a community-driven platform featuring pop-ups, open mic nights, and collaborative art projects. It was not just a marketing campaign; it is a movement to celebrate emerging talent across art, music, and culture—values we deeply align with at Yoho. We have also collaborated selectively with influencers and creators who genuinely resonate with our comfort-driven ethos, ensuring that our brand narrative stays real and relatable. As we grow offline, our marketing strategy is evolving too—we are actively incorporating BTL (Below The Line) and ATL (Above The Line) activities to amplify brand presence across retail touchpoints, transit media, and regional channels.
For us, marketing is not about loud messaging, but meaningful experiences—whether online or offline.
What is next for Yoho in terms of expansion—are you looking at offline retail, international markets, or perhaps new product categories?
Yoho is in an exciting phase of growth and momentum. While we began as a digital-first brand, we have always envisioned a strong omnichannel presence. Currently, Yoho is available in around 500 multi-brand outlets (MBOs) across India, and we are actively scaling this to over 2,000 MBOs in the near future. We have also taken early steps in exclusive brand retail, with two EBOs in Bathinda and Barnala, and are planning to expand across key tier 1 and tier 2 cities where we see rising demand for comfort-first, everyday footwear.
On the digital front, we have strengthened our presence across major marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Ajio, TataCliq, and our own D2C platform. We have also entered quick commerce for faster last-mile delivery and meeting the expectations of today’s time-sensitive consumers.
In terms of innovation, we have multiple new product categories and R&D-led innovations currently in development. These focus on extending our comfort-centric design philosophy into new styles and use-cases, further diversifying our catalogue for the entire family.
Internationally, the Middle East is a key focus as we look to tap into markets that value quality, style, and comfort—three pillars that define Yoho. Our vision is bold but clear: to reach ₹1,000 crore in revenue by 2030 and capture 10 per cent of the Indian footwear market. We are building not just a footwear brand, but a lifestyle movement rooted in innovation, comfort, and everyday utility.
The footwear industry is seeing rapid shifts towards comfort-driven and athleisure styles. How do you see consumer preferences evolving in India over the next 3–5 years?
The Indian footwear market is undergoing a fundamental shift from being occasion-based to lifestyle-integrated. This evolution is being led by younger, digital-first consumers who value quality and versatility over traditional brand loyalty. Over the next 3–5 years, we anticipate a strong and sustained demand for comfort-first, versatile footwear that blends what we know today as performance with everyday wearability. Athleisure is not just a trend—it is becoming a way of life, especially as remote work, health consciousness, and urban mobility continue to shape routines.
Indian consumers are also getting more design-savvy and informed. They want shoes that are not only functional but also stylish and reflective of their identity. We find more and more consumers having conversations about the toe box, breathability, and arch support today. We have seen this first-hand—our customers are increasingly choosing products that offer all-day comfort, breathable materials, and ergonomic designs, without compromising on aesthetics. We also see a rising interest in hybrid categories—footwear that can transition seamlessly from casual to semi-formal settings.
