Edward Van Wezel believes business is a way of life. For him, heading a company, which blends technology with comfort into a shoe, does not necessarily mean being locked in laboratories working on R&D wonders. ?It simply needs to be practical,? he says. Practical like shoes that could stand the hot and slipping sand of the desert, coarse terrains of the mountains or slimy coral reefs without causing any discomfort to its wearer, he elaborates. ?Like, something a kabbadi player in India would want to wear. Or something as simple as floaters to wear to office ? which Indians like to do ? on a rainy and muddy day. People, their occupations and places they live in give us loads of ideas,? says the global brand director of Hi-Tec footwear, a company which makes outdoor sports footwear.
Product wise, the company is watching every move an Indian takes. It wants to bring products, which value-for-money-minded Indians can buy. It wants to sell through large-format multi-brand stores, so that people can see and compare. Overall, Hi-Tec, with over 500 styles being commercialised throughout 80 countries under sub-categories like outdoor, court, golf, sport and urban, has come to India after doing a lot of research. And as far as India is concerned, this global brand director is enjoying his brand?s presence in this buzzing, foot-tapping market. ?In India, the category of outdoor sports footwear is growing at a steady 9%. People are opening up to venture out and try sports they never felt anything about. The country?s young population is another interesting factor. However, figuring out how much this still makes for our business will take us some time to disclose,? says Van Wezel.
A company founded in 1974 in Shoeburyness, Essex, England, Hi-Tec?s original success grew from the breakthrough design and development of its first ever shoe, the Hi-Tec Squash, specifically designed for the then fast-growing game of squash. An industry benchmark then and now, few shoes in athletic footwear history have recorded unit sales of over 18 million pairs worldwide to date. The Hi-Tec Squash remains Britain?s all time best-selling sports shoe model to this day. For India, the entrepreneur is singularly focusing on developing attractive, comfortable, lightweight high-quality shoes at a fair ?true value? price. As yet, it has launched its men?s footwear here to be followed by that for women and kids and sports accessories like bags.
Currently, Hi-Tec shoes are available across 15 states at retail chains. The company aims to launch its indoor sport and athletic shoes in the later part of this financial year, informs the company head. ?The drive is to make someone ?enjoy one?s sports wear? making us begin from our R&D to presenting the shoes well to customers,? informs Van Wezel.
Betting big on a country with huge numbers (as potential customers if one talks about the metros alone), Van Wezel says India is the most important market for the brand right now. ?More than sales, our current job is to figure out what the customer?s lookout is,? he says. Besides, he is trying to read the moves of other footwear brands to understand the future course of action.
?We need to begin with awareness. My product is different from what others sell. It is interesting, flexible and adaptable ? the way an outdoor sports enthusiast would want. We are raising the bar of the segment we are part of,? he adds.
A sports freak too with interests in soccer, tennis and skiing, besides globetrotting, he also helps the company with its first user feedback. And, as his senior team members say, both the conditions are required to manage a functional and comfortable brand like Hi-Tec. For them too, today, business is the way of life and waits to be discovered at every move one takes ? whether on the way to office or while trekking.