Essentially Classic

The brand has a broad target market, it has had young professional buying the shoes and they have become repeat customers. It also has customers that understand the materials and construction of the shoes.

Bridlen is the brainchild of Watanabe, a mentor and veteran shoemaker from Japan, and K Mohamed Affan, Director of a renowned shoe manufacturer in South India. Being a traditionally export factory for brands in Japan and Europe, they were aspired to launch the brand and connect directly with customers.

“We have always aspired to launch our brand and connect directly with customers. With over 3 decades of shoemaking for high-quality premium brands, we envision Bridlen to provide classic men’s shoes to a global audience. The initial success of Bridlen in Japan led to a strong omnichannel in presence in India, and now available internationally across 200 countries. The growth of the brand across different markets has been a learning experience for us to understand the requirements of every customer and cater to their needs,” explains Affan, Managing Director of the brand.

In India, Bridlen started the journey with trunk shows and events, eventually leading to an e-commerce website and now multiple stockists around the country.