People love wearing good clothes, shoes, and accessories to look good. Irrespective of financial background or status, everyone enjoys shopping. When the basic needs of life are taken care of and there’s a little extra money in hand, people naturally turn to their wants. Some invest, some save, but most people love to spend on clothes, shoes, and other lifestyle products that excite them to own and wear. Across the world, shoes often hold a special place. In fact, for many people, shoes matter more than the entire outfit. It’s not unusual to see someone wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans paired with sneakers that cost more than the whole dress combined.
Globally and even in India, people spend thousands to lakhs of rupees for a single pair of shoes. Budgets might differ, but one thing is common: the desire to own a piece from the luxury sneaker and streetwear segment.
But everywhere there is a set of problems that exist. These products aren’t available as easily as regular shoes. Suppose you want a pair of limited-edition sneakers that costs ₹20,000 or ₹30,000. On one hand, you’ll find sellers who claim to give them to you for just ₹5,000 or ₹10,000. On the other hand, some resellers hike the prices to 150% or even 200% of the original MRP.
The challenges are clear. First, authenticity. Is the shoe genuine or a fake? Second is price. What price are you paying? Third, quality and trust. Whether you will get the same quality and product that you ordered.
In 2016, a person named Ackshay bought his first pair of Jordans, the AJ1 PSG. What should have been a happy moment quickly showed him the problems in India’s sneaker market. It was hard to know if the shoes were real; the right sizes were almost impossible to find, and the prices were much higher than they should have been.
He realized he wasn’t the only one facing this. Thousands of people in India who loved sneakers and streetwear were struggling with the same issues. Around this time, Devansh also noticed these gaps in the market. Together, they decided to build something that could change the way India shops for luxury fashion. That’s how Culture Circle was born, a place where people can finally buy authentic products, in the right sizes, and at fair prices.
That decision gave birth to Culture Circle, a company that has now become India’s number one hype and luxury fashion app, revolutionizing the way people shop for sneakers, streetwear, and luxury items.
The platform mainly attracts Gen Z sneaker and luxury lovers; not just them, even millennials who want authentic, high-quality fashion are now joining the culture circle.
Today, Culture Circle has grown into India’s biggest marketplace for hype sneakers and streetwear. The company is quickly moving into the broader luxury fashion space, making everything from sneakers to high-end fashion more accessible and trustworthy.
After the COVID-19 period, more people turned towards online shopping, and love towards luxury goods is rising faster, and that actually helped Culture Circle to scale it big.
The company now has expanded beyond India. They expanded into places like the UAE, Eastern Europe, and Asia, where demand for authenticated luxury fashion is booming.
Other than the problem that they solved, there are other reasons why it worked well. One of the first reasons why it worked is its community building. They created a space where sneaker lovers and fashion lovers could connect, learn, and share their passion.
And then comes the collection. They have the largest collection in Asia, along with the widest authenticated range of sneakers, streetwear, and luxury fashion on the platform.
One of the biggest reasons for Culture Circle’s success is how smartly it used technology. Its in-house system called SourceX helps manage inventory efficiently, meaning customers don’t face the usual problem of “out of stock” or “wrong sizes.” On top of that, the platform uses AI-based verification to check every product for authenticity. So, when someone buys a pair of sneakers or a luxury item, they can be 100% sure it’s the real deal. This mix of smart tech makes the entire shopping process smooth, fast, and safe.
And they even built India’s largest network of verified sellers. They have the compare and shop feature wherein people can compare the prices of the products, and then they can buy the product. These are some reasons why it worked well for the company.
Culture Circle was backed by Ritesh Agarwal and even Kunal Bahl. The company now claims to have crossed a ₹400 crore valuation, with more than 1 million monthly users and over 4,000 verified sellers on its platform. In the past few quarters, it has recorded 4x growth, proving the strong demand for authentic luxury and streetwear fashion in India.
