Emerging footwear brand RARA Barefoot has secured $500,000 (around Rs 4.2 crore) in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round led by founders and senior executives from Zomato, Urban Company, Tata 1mg, Shyft, and HexaHealth, along with managing directors and partners from ChrysCapital and BCG.
The funding will be utilized to launch RARA’s national direct-to-consumer (D2C) rollout, build select offline retail partnerships, and scale local manufacturing as it prepares to introduce barefoot sneakers to Indian consumers.
Founded in 2024 by Varun Mimani and Manas Tripathi, RARA Barefoot is redefining performance footwear through barefoot sneakers — shoes designed to mimic the body’s natural movement while maintaining modern design sensibilities. The brand aims to restore the natural biomechanics of walking and running by combining evolutionary design principles with minimalist aesthetics.
RARA’s debut sneaker line is now available on its official website, marking its entry into India’s premium performance footwear segment. The company also plans to expand into offline channels by partnering with multi-brand retail stores and experience-driven pop-ups in key metro cities starting 2026.
Each RARA sneaker features a zero heel-to-toe drop, a wide toe box that encourages natural toe spread, and a flexible sole engineered to bend with the foot’s 33 joints. The sneakers are manufactured entirely in India, combining global barefoot design philosophy with locally sourced high-performance materials.
According to market data, the Indian sneaker market is projected to reach $4.66 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.7%. As health-conscious consumers increasingly seek footwear that blends comfort, performance, and wellness, RARA Barefoot is positioning itself at the forefront of this evolving lifestyle trend.
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