Snigdha Agrawal - Growkix (S01 E11)

S01 E11: Are we putting children in the wrong shoes? In this episode, footwear designer, product developer and entrepreneur Snigdha Agrawal asks whether children’s shoes are really being designed around the needs of growing feet – and how better materials, fit and product development could change the way the industry approaches kids’ footwear. After struggling to find shoes that properly fitted her daughter, Snigdha began researching what growing feet actually need and ultimately founded GrowKix, a new children’s footwear brand. She also discusses the role of polyurethane in footwear and why material selection and hydrolysis resistance are important when designing shoes that need to cope with active children and demanding conditions. “I started questioning my own assumptions of 15 years” “Footwear should support the kids’ development. They should not restrict it” “Footwear is a functional element. It’s not a fashion element anymore” “Technology is also the way a shoe is made, the way you have combined the materials” Key topics: Why growing feet need more than simply the correct shoe length Why more cushioning does not necessarily mean a more comfortable children’s shoe How GrowKix has been developed and tested around the needs of growing feet Where polyurethane fits into children’s footwear Why India’s children’s footwear market remains heavily unorganised Whether Indian parents are becoming more willing to pay for value and performance The speed gap between Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese footwear manufacturing The potential for 3D scanning and data-driven footwear design #Polyurethane #Footwear #ChildrensFootwear #FootwearDesign #India #IndianFootwear #MaterialsScience #ProductDevelopment #PolyCast #PU #FootwearInnovation #Manufacturing #GrowKix #MadeInIndia