Team StartupCity

• RARA Barefoot raises $500,000 in oversubscribed pre-seed round.
• Launches India’s first barefoot performance sneakers, made locally.
• Plans D2C expansion, retail tie-ups, and scaled manufacturing.

RARA Barefoot, a new Indian performance footwear startup, has raised $500,000 in an oversubscribed pre-seed round and officially launched its first line of barefoot sneakers. The round saw participation from senior leaders and founders across Zomato, Urban Company, Tata 1mg, Shyft, and HexaHealth, as well as MDs and partners from ChrysCapital and BCG.

Founded by Varun Mimani and Manas Tripathi, RARA is building India’s first barefoot sneakers, designed to support the foot’s natural biomechanics instead of restricting them. “Shoemaking is more engineering than fashion”, say the founders, who spent two years perfecting RARA’s design for flexibility, grip, and comfort.

Barefoot shoes are gaining popularity globally for promoting natural movement and posture. RARA sneakers feature a zero drop flat sole, wide toe box, and flexible structure, mimicking the way the foot naturally moves. All sneakers are made in India using high performance, locally sourced materials.

The funding will help RARA expand its D2C footprint, grow offline retail partnerships, and scale local manufacturing. The brand’s first collection is now available on its official website, with plans for multi-brand stores and city pop-ups by 2026.

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Backers believe RARA is tapping into a rising wellness-meets-performance category in India’s growing sneaker market, which is expected to hit $4.66 billion by 2030.

Akshat Babbar, MD at ChrysCapital, said, “Barefoot won’t stay niche”. He added,  “Once people feel the difference, adoption is only a matter of time”.