From initially making just four pairs of shoes a day, the company has grown to produce over 60,000 pairs daily while launching over 5,000 new designs annually
Liberty Shoes has been a prominent name in the Indian footwear industry for over 70 years, known for delivering premium quality at affordable prices to the middle-class market. The company has evolved from a shoe manufacturer into a globally recognised retailer by focusing on three key principles—thinking, technology, and timing.
Established in 1954 by Dharam Pal Gupta, Purshotam Das Gupta, and Rajkumar Bansal as Pal Boot House, Liberty started as a small shoe manufacturing unit in Karnal, Haryana, producing only four pairs of shoes daily. The brand ‘Liberty’ was officially introduced in 1964.
Today, Liberty Shoes produces more than 60,000 pairs of footwear daily and introduces around 5,000 new designs each year across its five manufacturing units, catering to consumers nationwide.
In 1990, the company launched its first sub-brand, Force 10, offering casual footwear. Over time, Liberty has grown into a multi-brand enterprise with 12 sub-brands tailored to different customer needs, including Fortune, Healers, Gliders, Prefect, Senorita, Freedom, Force10, Leap7x, Aha, Lucy & Luke, Coolers, and Warrior.
Currently, Liberty Shoes operates through a strong distribution network of over 100 distributors and 5,000 retail partners across India. The brand has a retail presence of more than 450 stores, comprising 250 franchise-owned outlets and 200 company-owned stores.
Beyond physical retail, Liberty is available on major e-commerce platforms and has expanded its global footprint by exporting to over 25 countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Anupam Bansal, one of the key directors at Liberty Shoes, has played a pivotal role in launching a diverse range of company-owned brands while steering the company toward greater professionalisation. He has introduced innovative marketing strategies to enhance brand communication and has encouraged the marketing team to develop bold and unconventional campaigns.
In an exclusive conversation with IndiaRetailing, Bansal discusses his professional journey, highlighting the challenges he has faced and the key accomplishments that have shaped his career.
I enjoy being in retail because: I like the challenge it poses and experience has shown that each day is a new day with the changing environment and the consumer behaviour.
The biggest professional challenge I face is: Staff efficiency, upskilling staff and price sensitivity.
To achieve full potential, Indian retailers must: Continuously upskill their staff and integrate technology to enhance the consumer experience.
I think my key professional accomplishments are: Refurbishing and modernizing the Liberty retail channel, as well as upgrading systems to equip channel partners with the latest technologies. These efforts have strengthened sales and ensured the business keeps pace with ever-evolving consumer behaviour.
Anupam Bansal
Designation: Executive Director
Company/ Organization Name: Liberty Shoes Ltd.
Brand/s Name: Liberty
Company Vertical/s: Fashion accessories
Core Business: Footwear manufacturing & sales
Address: 19th Floor,Magnum Global Park-2,Golf Course Extension Road, Sector -58,Gurugram-122011
E-mail: anupam@libertyshoes.com
