Metro Brands
Metro Brands is an Indian footwear retailer that operates owned footwear labels, value and multi-brand retail formats, and exclusive retail partnerships for international brands.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Metro Brands Limited is an Indian footwear retail company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The business began in 1955, when Malik Tejani opened a single shoe store in Colaba, Mumbai. It was incorporated as Metro Shoes in January 1977 and subsequently developed from a traditional footwear retailer into a multi-brand platform with a nationwide store network, proprietary labels, value-oriented formats, and partnerships with international footwear and sportswear companies. The company's flagship Metro brand serves men, women, and children with footwear and related accessories, including handbags, belts, and wallets. Its brand portfolio also includes Mochi, a broad-market footwear and accessories label; Walkway, a value-focused format; DaVinchi, a premium footwear label; J. Fontini, a men's footwear brand positioned across formal, casual, ethnic, and occasion-led categories; Cheemo, a women's footwear and accessories label with contemporary and ethnic influences; MetroActiv, an athletic and athleisure retail format; and Shoe Depot, a multi-brand factory-outlet concept. The portfolio allows Metro Brands to address different price points, use occasions, and consumer segments rather than relying on one retail identity. A major part of the company's strategy has been to combine owned brands with exclusive or strategic arrangements for international labels. Metro Brands has operated exclusive Crocs stores in India and has held an exclusive Indian retail and distribution relationship for FitFlop. It also secured the exclusive Indian licence for FILA, partnered with Foot Locker to develop the latter's presence in India, worked with New Era to expand its Indian retail presence, and entered an arrangement with Clarks covering retail and digital operations in India. These relationships extend Metro Brands beyond its own labels and provide access to global footwear, sportswear, comfort-footwear, and lifestyle brands. The company expanded its physical network during the 2000s and began e-commerce operations in 2010. Mochi's first exclusive brand outlet opened in 2000, while Walkway was introduced in 2009 to serve more price-sensitive consumers. Metro Brands completed an initial public offering in December 2021, becoming a listed Indian footwear retailer. Its subsequent development has emphasized store expansion, format diversification, brand partnerships, and an omnichannel connection between physical stores and digital commerce. Metro Brands primarily serves the Indian market through stores in cities across the country and through online channels. Reference material describes the company as operating more than 1,000 stores across 221 Indian cities by 2026, although the exact current store count and financial position should be verified against the company's latest filings. Its competitive proposition rests on a broad footwear assortment, multiple owned brands, established retail locations, and access to international partner brands. The company is therefore best understood as a footwear retail house rather than as a single-product shoe label.
History
Metro Brands traces its origins to 1955, when Malik Tejani established a standalone shoe store in Colaba, Mumbai. The original business was a conventional footwear retailer, but its location and subsequent development provided the foundation for a larger Indian retail enterprise. The company was formally incorporated as Metro Shoes in January 1977. Rafique Malik later led the business and became its chairman. The first major portfolio extension was the introduction of Mochi in 1977. Mochi eventually developed into a distinct footwear and accessories brand, and its first exclusive brand outlet opened in 2000. The format broadened the company's reach beyond the original Metro identity and addressed a wider range of casual, formal, and occasion-wear requirements. During the same period, Metro Brands expanded its store network and continued to build a multi-format retail model. In 2009, the company introduced Walkway as a value-oriented footwear format. Walkway focused on affordable footwear and accessories for men, women, and children, enabling the business to participate in lower price segments while retaining its more established Metro and Mochi propositions. In 2010, Metro Brands entered e-commerce and passed the milestone of 100 stores. Digital commerce became an additional route to market alongside its growing physical network. The company increasingly used partnerships to supplement its owned labels. In 2015, it entered into an arrangement with Crocs to operate exclusive Crocs stores in India. It later signed an exclusive partnership with FitFlop in 2021 and obtained the exclusive Indian licence for FILA in 2022. These arrangements expanded the company's exposure to international comfort, sportswear, and lifestyle categories and made its retail platform relevant to brands seeking an established Indian distribution network. Metro Brands launched its initial public offering in December 2021. The listing represented a significant corporate milestone and gave the company access to public capital markets. Following the IPO, its development continued to emphasize brand portfolio expansion, store growth, and format specialization. In 2023, Metro Brands formed a strategic partnership with Foot Locker, supporting the American sportswear retailer's entry and expansion in India. In 2024, it partnered with New Era, adding a global headwear and apparel name to its network. The company added MetroActiv in 2025 as a multi-brand sports and performance retail format. The new concept broadened the business beyond conventional footwear retail to include athletic and athleisure footwear, apparel, and accessories. In the same period, Metro Brands secured an exclusive partnership for Clarks in India, with responsibility described as covering retail and digital operations, including exclusive stores and official online channels. Metro Brands also operates additional owned labels and formats, including DaVinchi, J. Fontini, Cheemo, and Shoe Depot. DaVinchi addresses premium footwear and occasion-led styles; J. Fontini focuses on men's formal, casual, ethnic, and occasion footwear; Cheemo combines women's footwear and handbags with contemporary and ethnic styling; and Shoe Depot functions as a multi-brand factory-outlet destination. The company consequently operates as a portfolio-based footwear retail house, with different concepts serving different consumer needs. Reference material states that the company had exceeded 1,000 stores in 221 Indian cities by 2026. Because that figure is time-specific and may change, it should be checked against the latest corporate disclosures before being treated as a current operating statistic. The enduring character of the business is its combination of Indian retail scale, owned brands, value and premium formats, e-commerce, and exclusive relationships with international footwear and sportswear companies.
- 2025
MetroActiv launches and Clarks partnership begins
[1]Metro Brands launched MetroActiv and secured an exclusive Clarks partnership for India.
- 2024
New Era partnership announced
[1]Metro Brands partnered with New Era to expand its retail presence in India.
- 2023
Foot Locker partnership announced
[1]The company entered a strategic partnership with Foot Locker to develop the brand's Indian presence.
- 2022
FILA licence secured
[1]Metro Brands secured the exclusive licence for FILA in India.
- 2021
FitFlop partnership and IPO
[1]The company signed an exclusive FitFlop partnership and launched its initial public offering in December.
- 2015
Crocs partnership begins
[1]Metro Brands entered a partnership to operate exclusive Crocs stores in India.
- 2010
E-commerce operations begin
[1]Metro Brands began e-commerce operations and crossed 100 stores.
- 2009
Walkway launches
[1]The company introduced Walkway as a value-focused footwear retail format.
- 2000
First Mochi exclusive outlet opens
[1]Metro Brands opened the first exclusive store for its Mochi footwear and accessories brand.
- 1977
Metro Shoes is incorporated
[1]The company was incorporated as Metro Shoes in January and introduced the Mochi brand.
Products and positioning
An Indian footwear retail house spanning mainstream, premium, value, athletic, comfort, and multi-brand segments, supported by proprietary labels and exclusive international-brand partnerships.
Owned footwear and accessories brand · 1955
Metro
Metro is the company's flagship footwear and accessories brand. Its assortment serves men, women, and children and includes shoes, sandals, handbags, belts, wallets, and related fashion accessories. The brand represents the core Metro retail proposition and spans everyday, formal, casual, and occasion-oriented needs.
Owned footwear and accessories brand · 1977
Mochi
Mochi is a broad-market footwear and accessories brand operated by Metro Brands. It covers casual, formal, and occasion-wear categories for a wide consumer base. Its dedicated retail identity was reinforced by the opening of the first Mochi exclusive brand outlet in 2000.
Value footwear retail format · 2009
Walkway
Walkway is Metro Brands' value-focused footwear format, introduced to address more affordable footwear and accessory requirements. It serves men, women, and children and provides the group with a distinct proposition for price-sensitive shoppers.
Premium footwear brand
DaVinchi
DaVinchi is a premium footwear label within the Metro Brands portfolio. Its assortment includes formal shoes, casual footwear, sandals, and occasion styles, with a strong emphasis on leather-led products and consumers seeking more premium, polished, or event-oriented footwear.
Men's footwear brand
J. Fontini
J. Fontini is a men's footwear label associated with the Mochi retail portfolio. It offers formal, casual, ethnic, and occasion footwear, including leather shoes, loafers, sandals, and other styles intended for work, social events, and daily wear.
Women's footwear and accessories brand
Cheemo
Cheemo focuses primarily on women's handbags and footwear. Its products cover traditional, festive, and occasion-led categories and combine contemporary fashion with ethnic influences. The brand is distributed through Metro Brands' stores and online channels in India.
Multi-brand sports and performance retail format · 2025
MetroActiv
MetroActiv is a multi-brand sports and performance format introduced by Metro Brands in 2025. It offers athletic and athleisure footwear, apparel, and accessories and extends the company's presence into sports and active-lifestyle retail.
Multi-brand factory-outlet format
Shoe Depot
Shoe Depot is a multi-brand factory-outlet destination operated by Metro Brands. Its assortment can include products from Metro, Mochi, Walkway, Crocs, FitFlop, FILA, and other footwear brands, serving men, women, and children across multiple categories.
International partner footwear brand · 2015
Crocs
Metro Brands operates exclusive Crocs retail stores in India through its partnership with Crocs, Inc. The arrangement gives the company a role in the brand's Indian retail presence and distribution.
International partner comfort-footwear brand · 2021
FitFlop
FitFlop is a comfort-footwear brand whose products emphasize biomechanical design and support for everyday movement. Metro Brands holds exclusive Indian retail, marketing, and distribution rights described in the reference material.
International partner sportswear brand · 2022
FILA
FILA is a global sportswear and lifestyle brand spanning footwear, apparel, and accessories. Metro Brands secured the exclusive licence for the brand in India and manages its local retail and operating presence.
International partner sportswear retailer · 2023
Foot Locker
Foot Locker is an American sportswear and footwear retailer. Metro Brands entered a strategic partnership with Foot Locker in 2023 to introduce and expand the Foot Locker retail format in India.
International partner headwear and apparel brand · 2024
New Era
New Era is an American headwear and apparel brand. Metro Brands partnered with New Era Cap Company in 2024 to support the brand's Indian retail presence through its stores and distribution channels.
International partner footwear brand · 2025
Clarks
Clarks is an established British footwear brand known for traditional shoemaking and comfort-oriented design. Under the 2025 arrangement described in the reference material, Metro Brands became its exclusive retail and digital partner in India.
Brand decisions
2025
Launch MetroActivProduct launchBackground
Growing interest in sports, performance, and athleisure created an opportunity for a dedicated multi-brand format.
Action taken
Metro Brands launched MetroActiv with footwear, apparel, and accessories across sports and active-lifestyle categories.
Aftermath
The new format expanded the company's portfolio beyond conventional footwear retail.
2025
Become exclusive Clarks retail and digital partner in IndiaStrategyBackground
Clarks required an Indian retail and digital operating arrangement for its local market presence.
Action taken
Metro Brands secured an exclusive partnership covering Clarks' Indian stores and official digital channels.
Aftermath
The agreement added a longstanding international footwear brand to Metro Brands' partner portfolio.
2023
Partner with Foot Locker for IndiaStrategyBackground
Foot Locker sought to introduce and expand its retail format in the Indian market.
Action taken
Metro Brands entered a strategic partnership with Foot Locker.
Aftermath
The partnership positioned Metro Brands as an Indian operating and retail partner for a global sportswear retailer.
2021
Launch initial public offeringOtherBackground
After decades of private development and retail expansion, Metro Brands pursued access to public capital markets.
Action taken
The company launched its IPO in December 2021.
Aftermath
Metro Brands became a publicly listed Indian footwear retailer.
2015
Operate exclusive Crocs stores in IndiaStrategyBackground
Metro Brands was broadening its business through relationships with international footwear companies.
Action taken
The company entered a partnership with Crocs to operate exclusive Crocs stores in India.
Aftermath
The arrangement added an international comfort-footwear brand to Metro Brands' Indian retail platform.
2010
Add e-commerce to the retail modelStrategyBackground
The company was expanding its physical store network and needed an additional route for reaching Indian consumers.
Action taken
Metro Brands launched e-commerce operations.
Aftermath
The business developed an omnichannel component alongside its stores.
2009
Introduce a value-oriented retail formatStrategyBackground
Metro Brands sought to serve more price-sensitive footwear shoppers alongside its established branded retail propositions.
Action taken
The company launched Walkway, a value footwear and accessories format for men, women, and children.
Aftermath
Walkway added a lower-priced retail proposition to the company's multi-format portfolio.
Recent events
Metro Shoes launches #FoundMyPair campaign[2]
Reported:
Metro Shoes launched the #FoundMyPair social media campaign with Makani Creatives and Humans of Bombay. Users could share love stories for possible features on Metro Shoes’ social media handles and the Humans of Bombay platform; the campaign ran from 9 to 12 February 2020.
Sources2 sources
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