Hyderabad had an exciting weekend and Sunday ended on a bang with ‘Sneaking Out’, the country’s largest sneaker festival, organised by SteppinOut and SoleSearch, in association with Royal Enfield. The second season held at Air Live, Gachibowli was one of the finest celebrations of all things street.
Hyderabadis witnessed an electric celebration of the rising trend of streetwear, sneakers and hip hop culture with an exciting opening act by the phenomenal DJ Ivan Lendl as well as renowned artists including BohB, DJ Mavericks and Venom. Along with the biggest curation of sneakers and streetwear seen thus far, from the finest homegrown as well as international brands, the pop culture extravaganza hosted an elite lineup of over 100 exhibitors from around the country.
Several brands showcased their line of products including Farak, VibeTheHype, Cop Underdog, Helios and Prosperity. The festival also featured performances by some of the top music artists in the country and hosted other exciting activities like auctions, gaming zones and a whole lot more.
We caught up with Khusbu Mav, marketing head for SteppinOut, who spoke about how sneakers and streetwear fad led by millennials and Gen Z is on a rapid growth trajectory in the country. “It has moved from being a fad to a community of serious sneakerheads that dresses feet first. Along with retail sales, it is the resale market that is pushing the numbers in the sneaker industry out of the park. Events like SneakinOut are not just a platform for these resellers, they are actually a celebration of sneaker culture and creating experiences which have become an integral part of the sneakerhead community and are here to stay,” he tells CE.
Abhishek Bardia, head of marketing at SoleSearch, seconds Khusbu to say that what was earlier considered a fad has grown to become a multi-billion industry globally and in India. “It is also being pegged as a new asset class by recent reports. This seismic shift is being led by Gen Z and younger millennials who belong to a more connected, aspiring, global culture today. Events like SneakinOut are a critical part of this ecosystem internationally. Given the rise of these industries in the country, these experiences are here to stay and set to become a staple for young Indians,” says he.
The sneaker fest partnered with brands like Royal Enfield, Casa Bacardi, Jimmy’s Cocktails and others, and set out to be a perfect haven to celebrate the biggest culture uprising across the country. The gathering served as just the right opportunity for the sneaker and streetwear communities to learn and celebrate their mutual love. The event concluded on a grand and successful note, and is expected to return at an even higher scale soon, the organisers say with fingers crossed!
Brands across the globe and especially the country, are more than willing to make the most of streetwear growing from being a fad to a community of serious ‘sneakerheads’ who dress up, feet first. The now multi-million dollar industry is here to stay!