{"id":3527,"date":"2026-08-21T14:30:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T09:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/2026\/08\/21\/how-coral-hazes-manhar-oberoi-is-reinventing-artisanal-footwear-into-a-curated-premium-purchase\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T14:30:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T09:00:36","slug":"how-coral-hazes-manhar-oberoi-is-reinventing-artisanal-footwear-into-a-curated-premium-purchase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/2026\/08\/21\/how-coral-hazes-manhar-oberoi-is-reinventing-artisanal-footwear-into-a-curated-premium-purchase\/","title":{"rendered":"How Coral Haze\u2019s Manhar Oberoi is reinventing artisanal footwear into a curated, premium purchase"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Indian footwear industry has become increasingly crowded, with homegrown D2C brands, global brands, and fast fashion players competing for attention. Price remains the biggest factor deciding market share, forcing brands to align their strategies accordingly.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0not Manhar Oberoi.<\/p>\n

The co-founder of artisanal shoe brand Coral Haze has taken a standout position from the rest.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019ve never bought into the idea that louder wins. Footwear is already screaming for attention from every direction,\u201d Manhar says.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not interested in that race,\u00a0 not the branding theatrics, not the trend-chasing, not the \u201ccopy it before someone else does\u201d scramble.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For him, standing out means revisiting our roots, aligned for a modern audience.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe don\u2019t think \u201ccontemporary\u201d should be code for stripping the Indian out of Indian craftsmanship. That\u2019s not modernization, that\u2019s erasure with better lighting. The craft isn\u2019t a starting point to move past; it\u2019s the whole point. We work with techniques passed down through generations and interpret them for how people actually dress now, not how a trend forecast says they should,\u201d he further explains.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The idea behind Coral Haze<\/strong><\/h4>\n

For Manhar, it all started in 2016, when he noticed how Indian craftsmanship was applauded for its heritage, but not aligned with premium, modern, and aspirational uses. Global luxury trends reigned, but there was also an appreciation for delicate traditional craftsmanship. That was the entry point.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe weren\u2019t interested in copying global luxury, and we weren\u2019t interested in staying boxed into \u201cfestive wear\u201d either,\u201d Manhar says. \u201cWe just wanted to look at the craft we already had through a sharper lens.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But that was easier said than done, as handmade, artisanal shoes cannot be scaled for demand spikes. Manhar has had to balance growth with craftsmanship, though this has taken some time.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, there was a perception problem.<\/p>\n

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\u201c(People thought that)\u00a0handmade, somehow, was expected to mean cheap. We disagreed. The hours, the hands, the precision, that\u2019s not a discount. That\u2019s the price of the product. It took time to make that case. But once people actually wore the shoes, the argument made itself,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Today, Coral Haze has expanded to 27 countries, with celebrities like Kriti Sanon, Huma Qureshi, Rhea Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan, Mira Rajput, and Nick Jonas backing the brand. It has shown how traditional styling can be used in a contemporary setting.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIndian craftsmanship was never supposed to choose between heritage and modernity. It doesn\u2019t need permission to sit in both worlds,\u00a0 or to hold its own next to global fashion,\u201d Manhar adds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Balancing craftsmanship, quality, costs<\/strong><\/h4>\n

For Manhar and his team, meeting quality standards while balancing costs remains a constant challenge, even as consistency and comfort remain paramount for the brand\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe use high-quality materials and meticulous handcrafting methods to create our footwear, and we are extremely aware that the product must be more than just aesthetically pleasing. Because individuals must wear shoes, especially during lengthy celebrations and weddings, comfort is extremely crucial,\u201d Manhar explains.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also understand that maintaining consistency is a necessary part of premium positioning. The standards for design, craftsmanship, and service should be the same whether someone finds Coral Haze online, through a retail partner, or through a recommendation. Rather than sacrificing the qualities that initially earned us people\u2019s confidence, our strategy has always been to develop thoughtfully,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Responsible manufacturing<\/strong><\/h4>\n

For Manhar, the Coral Haze brand goes beyond quality to include responsible manufacturing. At a time when brands are facing increased scrutiny over their use of automation over skills, Coral Haze has continued to ensure sustainable manufacturing practices.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor us, sustainability starts with a simple fact: every pair is made by hand, by someone with real skill, rather than by a machine. That\u2019s the foundation we\u2019re trying to protect,\u201d Manhar says.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur karigars carry techniques that have been passed down through generations, and keeping that ecosystem alive, ensuring the craft remains viable, the people behind it are valued and fairly compensated, and the skills remain relevant to a modern market, is as much a part of our responsibility as anything we would call sustainable sourcing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

When something is made slowly, thoughtfully, and well, people tend to value it more and hold on to it longer. In many ways, that\u2019s the opposite of disposable fashion, not as a marketing proposition, but simply by design,\u201d Manhar adds.<\/p>\n

Making tough choices<\/strong><\/h4>\n

For Manhar, adopting a different approach has also forced him to say no to opportunities. Given the limitations with crafted designer footwear, Manhar has struggled to meet demand when interest spikes.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere have been moments when we\u2019ve turned away volumes we could technically have taken, simply because saying yes would have meant compromising on the product. That\u2019s never an easy decision when the order is right in front of you, but we\u2019ve learnt that growth and speed aren\u2019t the same thing,\u201d Manhar admits.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, the growth that\u2019s worth having is the kind that makes the business better along the way: better processes, better-trained hands, and a product that\u2019s stronger than it was a year ago, rather than simply more units leaving the door. We would rather grow at the pace at which we can protect our craft than grow at a pace that compromises it,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Future Plans<\/strong><\/h4>\n

For Manhar, the next phase of growth revolves around building a community around the brand.<\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/strong>We\u2019ve built a strong following online, but we want that relationship to become more tangible too, through events, in-person experiences, and moments where people can actually meet the craft and the people behind it, rather than simply see it on a screen,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Ultimately, we don\u2019t just want people to buy from Coral Haze; we want them to understand the craft, connect with the story, and feel like they are part of the journey,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<p>The post How Coral Haze\u2019s Manhar Oberoi is reinventing artisanal footwear into a curated, premium purchase<\/a> first appeared on Hello Entrepreneurs<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Indian footwear industry has become increasingly crowded, with homegrown D2C brands, global brands, and fast fashion players competing for attention. Price remains the biggest factor deciding market share, forcing brands to align their strategies accordingly. But\u00a0not Manhar Oberoi. The co-founder of artisanal shoe brand Coral Haze has taken a standout position from the rest. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3528,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[28],"class_list":["post-3527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insight","tag-insight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pinkpreneurs.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}