Plaeto: Made for Indian children’s feet

The Bangalore-based start-up designs and delivers world-class footwear for Indian children at an accessible price that are not only protective of growing feet, but also have 50% lower carbon footprint as compared to the average athletic shoe.

In 2020, Kallayil gave up his job with Nike Innovation in the US and relocated to India to become an entrepreneur.

According to a recent Foot Morphology Research, nearly 30% of Indian children are wearing the wrong shoe size. In most cases, the feet are not measured correctly. Another serious concern is that these shoes are designed on the basis of the feet size and conditions of people in the western world. In India, children’s shoes are, typically, designed for adults and then downsized for kids.

“Little has been done to address the foot health of kids and create a world-class product for Indian feet. Studies show that poorly designed footwear can lead to structural problems and body development issues for children,” said Ravi Kallayil, CEO and Co-founder of Plaeto, India’s first D2C foot-health focused footwear brand for children.

“The pandemic has put the spotlight on health, offering us a suitable opportunity to have important conversations about foot health and wellbeing of children. The last two years have also made us realize the importance of spending adequate time outdoors, especially for children. The right footwear and good foot health are critical to encouraging outdoor exposure and play,” he noted.

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In 2020, Kallayil gave up his job with Nike Innovation in the US and relocated to India to become an entrepreneur. Along with co-founders, Sara Kilgore and Pavan Kareti, he took the first step towards bridging the gap with Plaeto. The Bengaluru-based company got footwear design and development teams from India, US and Italy – armed with decades of collective product experience with footwear brands such as Nike and Adidas – to come up with a world-class Made-in-India product, Made for Indian feet.

The founding team then presented the product idea to cricketing icon and current Indian cricket coach, Rahul Dravid, for his feedback. “His critical inputs and unflinching support helped us develop the first foot-health focused ‘shoes for growing feet’, designed specifically for Indian children,” maintained Kallayil. Last November, Plaeto officially announced Dravid as its brand ambassador, strategic advisor and mentor.

“There is a huge untapped market for children’s footwear in India. Particularly for a D2C brand such as Plaeto that is focused on research and innovation. In less than two years since our inception, we have developed a host of proprietary design elements to deliver on our brand purpose and win a sizable market share,” he stated.

For instance, FitSystem, a proprietary Fitliner, gives an additional ½ size from the same product, without compromising on fit, comfort and performance, while Plaeto365, a midsole, is responsive, supportive, and comfortable even after a year of usage. Plaeto FitFinder, developed in partnership with FindMeaShoe, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to recommend the best-fitting shoes for each child.

“All our products are designed with a core focus on foot health to bring the joy of play back into children’s lives. Something that has been missed sorely during the pandemic, owing to lockdowns and forced sedentary time,” explained Kallayil.

Believing that children should inherit a better world, the brand strives for a zero-waste manufacturing process with the goal of creating net-zero carbon footwear. Plaeto also uses sustainable packaging solutions created in partnership with Faircraft Solutions, a non-profit women’s self-help group in rural Karnataka.

The footwear industry for children in India is estimated to grow at 7.7% CAGR to reach INR 131.1 billion by 2025, as per a Global Data report. Plaeto aims to impact at least 30% of the 300 million children in India through its products and programs. The company also plans to tap into foreign markets like Africa, where accessibility to good footwear is a challenge. The long-term strategy includes propagating the idea of accessible sustainability to developed markets, such as Europe and the US.

Currently, the D2C brand is available at https://plaeto.in/ as well as at marketplaces such as Amazon. “We are open to evaluating and exploring the offline retail space, depending on the upcoming opportunities,” Ravi added

(Brand Desk Content)

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