When we look just one decade back, there were a few shoes brands in Pakistan that were thriving steadily. However, with the rise of fashion awareness all over Pakistan, the shoe brands have risen rapidly consequently enabling us to share with you the list of best shoe brands in Pakistan.

Before, we let you go through the list, we want you to note one thing which is that this list doesn’t crown the superiority of brands according to their position on the list. Neither on the ascending order nor on the descending. This is because every brand has its unique community and every brand targets a specific segment of the market. Therefore, it won’t be justice to any brand to declare a specific brand superior to the other.

Now, without any further fuss, let’s get down to the list of top footwear brands in Pakistan;

1. Bata
2. Servis
3. Metro
4. Stylo
5. ECS
6. 1^st Step
7. Hush Puppies
8. Urban Sole
9. Borjan
10. Walkeaze

Apart from the above 10 shoes brands, there are two more that we didn’t mention separately as they are the sister brands of the mentioned brands as follows;

1. Ndure (A sister brand by Servis)
2. Insignia (A sister brand by Stylo)

Now let’s deep dive into each brand incorporation story, market, and the unique product range they offer.

1. Bata

As grown-up Pakistanis, we all know that whenever it comes to school shoes, we subconsciously think about Bata. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that Bata has equated his brand’s name to the school shoe collection for decades.

Bata = School Shoes

It might be a surprising fact for you that Bata was neither founded in Pakistan nor India as we typically think. The Bata shoe company was established in the Czech Republic by Tomas, Anna, and Antonin Bata (siblings) in 1894. Bata is the family name of the siblings who established it and they were the eighth generation of the Bata shoemaker family.

However, the company made its way to Pakistan in 1942 starting from Bata Shoe Company to finally becoming a public limited company namely Bata Pakistan Limited in 1979.

The current brand strategy doesn’t solely look at the kids’ footwear market in the specific school niche. With the changing demographics of the market, Bata has devised a great rebranding strategy campaign “Surprisingly Bata” wherein they actually surprised the people with their jaw-dropping fancy men’s and women’s footwear collection.

The 45-second ad campaign starred Maya Ali and Sheharyar Munawar.

Currently, Bata is the only footwear brand with a vast nationwide store network. However, not all the Bata stores are run by the company itself as the company has a franchising policy too.

2. Servis

Likewise, Bata, if we look a couple of decades back we find Servis as a competitor brand of Bata striving hard to earn the school shoes market share. Although, with less brand recognition at that time, Servis was not the people’s prime choice for school shoes.

The brand repositioned itself by 2012 with a stunning footwear collection, pricing strategy, and one of the top-performing ad campaigns of that time titled “Service Shoes for Everyone.”

The campaign was so successful that Servis secured an even better market image as compared to its rival brand Bata.

Founded in 1941 by a group of friends namely Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed, Chaudhry Mohammad Hussain, and Chaudhry Nazar Mohammad in Lahore, the Servis Company has now become Servis Group of Companies spearheading several business ventures ranging from Servis Tyres to Ndure shoes (a sister brand of Servis Shoes).

With a wide store network all over Pakistan, Servis has finally become people’s first choice for not just school but all categories of shoes. Whether it’s a casual slipper, Peshawari chappal, or long boots Servis has got you covered in everything.

3. Metro

Metro Shoes is a prominent shoe brand name in the country. Established in 1986, the brand spontaneously gained recognition and reputation within a short span of time. Currently, the brand operates with over 40 outlets all over Pakistan and deals in men’s, women’s as well as kids’ collections covering almost every category.

The main reason for mentioning Metro shoes as one of the top brands in Pakistan is its brand reputation and customer loyalty to the extent that Metro customer do not compromise on buying from other brands except its favorite brand. Also worth mentioning about the Metro shoes is their consistent product quality which has led people to trust their name.

4. Stylo

Whether there is a list of 10 or 5 outperforming brands in Pakistan, both can’t be completed without mentioning Stylo. Being a women-exclusive brand, when it comes to the Stylo brand positioning in the specific women’s niche, it becomes even harder to find any direct rival of the brand.

The brand has maintained its exclusivity with a slogan, “Jo Chahon, Wo Paoon.”

When the brands were replicating the leading footwear brands' strategy of targeting the growing number of millennials. Stylo was busy growing its individuality among female consumers.

Founded by a young man Mr. Azhar Hussain Siddiqui in Lahore in 1974, the brand was earlier named Bano Chapal and was subsequently transformed to Stylo.

This is an undeniable fact that every Pakistani woman first checks out Stylo’s collection before completing her purchase journey at any other brand. The brand has a great collection of female shoes, slippers, and sandals, and a separate pret collection too.

Currently, Stylo has over 200 outlets all over Pakistan.

5. ECS

ECS is yet another women-centric brand, derived from the abbreviation of Ehsan Chappal Store. The brand was founded in Anarkali Bazar Lahore in 1954, and currently, it operates all over Pakistan with a widespread outlet network.

ECS has a huge women's footwear collection ranging from casual slippers, casual sandals, bridal sandals, and pumps, to bags and even a Pret collection. Similar to other brands, ECS has maintained a positive reputation among its customers. ECS also plays a vital role in social responsibility.

ECS has also received several awards and accolades throughout its business journey towards making significant contributions to the consumer market and industry.

6. 1^st Step

1^st Step is the fastest-growing shoe brand in Pakistan. Founded in 2000 in Karachi with a standalone outlet in the then state-of-the-art shopping Mall of Pakistan, Pak Tower. The brand has grown with a countrywide store network of over 40 outlets all over Pakistan including the well-reputed shopping malls.

1^st Step is the most famous brand among consumers for having a long range of items in every single footwear category. Whether it is a men’s loafer, Peshawari’s collection, women’s bridal or comfy sandals, travel bags, or duffle bags, 1^st Step has tons of options in each category from variety to pricing.

It won’t be wrong to admit that 1^st Step offers a vast variety to cater to the customers’ unique needs without breaking the bank. Therefore, 1^st Step is often regarded as a one-stop solution for all footwear needs. 1^st Step casual soft sandals collection is the most appreciated and demanded collection among female customers.

During recent years, the brand has grown rapidly and has been entitled to the Brand of the Year Awards 2023 in the category of “Fastest Growing Men’s Footwear Category” and “Fastest Growing Kid’s Footwear Category.” Apart from that, 1^st Step has earned immense recognition throughout Pakistan with its Jashn-e-Eid ad campaign 2024.

In recent years, the brand has already opened 7 outlets so far and has no intention of slowing down its expansion.

7. Hush Puppies

Hush Puppies is an international footwear brand that was founded in America in 1958. In Pakistan, Firhaj owns the official license for Hush Puppies and CAT Pakistan. Firhaj is also honored to design and manufacture apparel for the international Hush Puppies audience.

Since its inception, the company has focused on manufacturing comfortable footwear for casual use. This is the reason why, whenever people in Pakistan want quality comfy shoes they go after Hush Puppies. However, if their spending capacity is limited then the second option following Hush Puppies for them is 1^st Step. It is because 1^st Step has a huge quality imported footwear variety which is comfy and affordable too.

Currently, Hush Puppies operates in all the major cities of Pakistan covering its presence in all the major malls of the country.

8. Urban Sole

Urban Sole has retained a distinguished position in the footwear industry by having a state-of-the-art shoe manufacturing plant in Pakistan.

Besides having a nationwide retail network of over 40 outlets, Urban Sole is mainly an exporter and wholesaler. With an international export network to Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Sri Lanka, the brand also has a large wholesale network that is widespread across 300 distribution points.

Started in 1998, the company has rapidly grown its business nationally and beyond the borders in a shorter span as compared to the other brands on the list.

Urban Sole has a limited but quality footwear collection for men and women. Most of its articles are repeated based on the customer’s demand for them and the brand typically works to make its own unique product portfolio to be accepted and demanded by its customer community over time.

9. Borjan

Borjan is a brand incepted under the umbrella of the Rafum Group (a Lahore-based Group) which owns several other retail brands including Mocciani and Nayza. The brand has over 145 outlets across Pakistan.

Borjan targets the vast segment of the market covering all men’s, women’s, and kid’s footwear collections. Apart from the footwear collection, the brand also has a women’s handbag collection.

The brand has a good reputation all over Pakistan and offers quality footwear to its customers. From casual everyday slippers to fancy sandals for a special occasion, Borjan has covered you with contemporary articles at market-competitive rates.

10. Walkeaze

There are very few details available about the brand’s inception date and origin details. However, the brand’s headquarters is in Karachi.

Within a few years, Walkeaze has shown massive transformation and has gained significant attention among the market leaders and the audience. Currently, it has over 15 outlets all around the country.

Unlike 1^st Step, Bata, and Servis, the brand targets the female segment of the market only by offering modern design items in almost every woman’s preferred category.

With a small retail network as compared to the other brands on the list, the brand has become amply synonymous among the customers.

Conclusion

It is always very exciting and grateful to see several shoe brands coming up and securing their individuality among the market by bringing every time something new and unique.

Each brand with its dedication, hard work, innovation, and race to serve its customers with even better products and services is not only meeting the growing demand in an exemplary way but also contributing significantly to the nation’s economy.

As these brands continue to evolve, they will surely pave the way for showcasing Pakistan’s potential in the global shoe market.