Xiaomi is a brand with huge aspirations to enter the lifestyle segment. Though they started off with smartphones that took the Indian market by a storm, they soon introduced other electronics like sound bars and headphones, before moving on to bag packs. Now, the Xiaomi’s latest offerings are the Xiaomi Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2. Will they be worth the goodwill the brand has generated?
What is the Xiaomi Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2?
Available in blue, black and grey, these shoes are now available for sale on Xiaomi’s crowdfunding platform, with shipping dates set post 15th march as of now. Currently, the shoes are available as a part of an early bird offer that has them priced at Rs 2,999 however, according to rumours, once this offer is over, the prices will rise. So far, 12% of the shoes have already been sold.
Xiaomi Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2 are made from a superior 5-in-1 uni-moulding technology. This technology makes the shoe shock resistant, durable, and also slip resistant, which makes them ideal for sports. The shoes come with a 10-fishbone structure which improves balance while also offering support for the arch. It also reduces the chances of any accidental sprains. The shoes are said to be extremely comfortable too with a fabric that is not only breathable but also machine washable.
The crowdfunding listing will only be live for 10 days so if you are interested in getting these shoes at an affordable price, you should consider doing that within this window. Though there is no indication regarding the future price of the Xiaomi Mi Men’s Sports Shoes, according to Raghu Reddy, the head of Category and Online sales, the prices will be “honest” ones.
How are Xiaomi’s sales in India?
In 2018, reports indicated that Xiaomi’s IPO was worth 1 Billion USD. This Chinese smartphone had even surpassed Samsung’s sales in India. Within a year, Xiaomi’s Q4 sales increased from 9% to 24%, in 2017 while Samsung’s dropped from 24% to 23%. While the gap between the two brands was not that high by the end of 2017, the leap taken by Xiaomi to close that gap was significant.
Xiaomi Smartphones are known for making history in India with their flash sales and the buying frenzy that they generate amongst consumers. Certain e-commerce portals like Amazon have weekly flash sales for specific RedMi models with deep discounts, however, with the new e-commerce guidelines in place, we’re not sure if Amazon can continue to offer the same!
What’s next for Xiaomi?
With the company entering spaces like the lifestyle market, nothing is off-limits for the brand. Since they have already invested in making a mark in bags and shoes, one can expect an athleisure line from them. Then again, the company has been unpredictable in terms of the directions it has been growing in so who knows, maybe you might even see a Xiaomi lipstick sometime in the future!
