Five Things I’ve Learned as a Designer and Entrepreneur, Building Shoes with a Soul.

When I started my journey as a designer and entrepreneur, @chalshoes, I didn’t set out to enter the “fashion” industry. I wanted to build something essential—something rooted in craft, comfort, and consciousness. Shoes, to me, are not just accessories—they are daily companions that deserve intention, durability, and dignity. As I’ve built a sustainable shoe brand from scratch, here are five unfiltered truths I’ve learned along the way.

1. The Shoe Industry Is Incredibly Tough to Crack

Unlike apparel or accessories, footwear is deeply technical. It’s not just about style; it's about structure, fit, durability, and engineering. Prototyping is expensive. Scaling production requires big MOQs (minimum order quantities). And in India, where the market is deeply price-sensitive, launching non-sneaker shoes as a new brand is especially hard. You're constantly balancing design integrity with affordability—and that’s not an easy line to walk.

2. Sustainability Comes at a Price—Emotionally and Operationally

Everyone loves the idea of sustainability, but few are willing to pay the price for it—especially in footwear. Working with waste materials means convincing artisans and manufacturers to unlearn what they know. They’re used to working with clean, fresh raw materials. Asking them to break down old tires, stitch on discarded fabric, or mold from “waste” often feels demeaning to them. It takes real emotional labor to reframe this—from something 'dirty' to something dignified, thoughtful, and even beautiful. Changing that mindset, both theirs and mine, has been one of the hardest and most rewarding parts of this journey.

3. I Didn’t Want to Work in Fashion—I Wanted to Make Something Useful

The world assumes that if you’re making shoes, you must be in fashion. But that was never the goal. I wanted to design a product that quietly improved someone’s daily life. Something people needed, not just wanted. Fashion became the medium, but functionality was always the mission. I still believe that utility can be beautiful without being trend-driven.

4. You Need Capital—And You Need Speed

Every single day as a founder costs you money—whether you’re spending it or not. Bootstrapping is romanticized, but the reality is: sustainable product businesses, especially in manufacturing, need funds. Delays cost. Mistakes cost. And if you're not moving fast enough, someone else will. The faster you learn to make decisions, delegate, and iterate, the longer you'll survive.

5. Start Small, Stay Grounded

Ironically, one of my biggest learnings is to start as small as possible. Create one great product. Work with one artisan. Sell to ten people. Don’t get lost in the noise of scale before you’ve found your soul. There’s power in beginning small and letting your purpose grow stronger than your profit margin—at least in the beginning.

Closing Thought Building shoes with a soul is not just a tagline—it’s a test of patience, values, and clarity. It’s shown me that design is never just about form; it's about intent. And when that intent is rooted in people, purpose, and perseverance, the journey—however hard—is always worth it.