Markhor shoes: A digital footprint

Sidra Qasim and Waqas Ali preserve an indigenous craft by providing it with an international platform

Knowing how to effectively use various technological tools to create a market that is not limited to physical boundaries has become the new key to success. Young entrepreneurs, Sidra Qasim and Waqas Ali structured their business model around the same concept and started counselling local craftsmen in their hometown Okara on how to move their business online. In the process, they ended up teaming up with a reluctant shoe-maker Muhammad Hussain and gave his handcrafted shoes a much-needed digital footprint.

In 2012, the duo launched Markhor — an online shoe brand that connects indigenous shoe-making craftsmen to global customers — but their journey was not a walk in the park. “The idea started with our small digital media company that provided assistance to people who were not familiar with technology. We would train them on how to use the internet for communication and business proposals,” recalls Ali. It was during this time that they first met Hussain who was striving to keep the craft of shoe-making alive and was convinced the internet was a dangerous tool. When they managed to finally reason with Hussain on their second visit to Okara, they did not have the finance to take the project forward and for a brief while returned to focusing on their digital media company.

Markhor shoes are made from leather and are therefore priced on the higher end. PHOTOS: MARKHOR COMPANY

Markhor’s sole focus is to build a quality brand for Pakistan that can compete internationally. PHOTOS: MARKHOR COMPANY

“When our company failed, Sidra and I took up different jobs to make money. Meanwhile, we applied for various grants and competitions as well,” shares Ali. Their big breakthrough came in September 2011 when the Pasha Fund for Social Innovation, a programme sponsored by Google Inc, awarded them $10,000. But since the money was handed in installments of $2,000 it took them a while to firmly establish themselves. “We basically launched our company at a local fast food joint. For three months we held meetings with suppliers there and in June 2012, Markhor launched its website,” adds Qasim.

The brand combines an age-old craft with modern designs to cater to a global urban clientele. All the shoes are made from leather and are therefore priced on the higher end. The ‘mark loafer’ which is made from just one piece of leather and the ‘black loafer’ which is made from full-grain cow leather both cost $235 (approximately Rs23,800). Similarly, their ‘Kaptaan Chappal’ is priced at $169 (approximately Rs17,000). “We hired a local designer and gave him an idea of what the international market demands and what works. He made sketches keeping these things in mind,” says Qasim. Initially since the designer sketched out only loafers and the shoe’s frame was designed accordingly, they invested more in tools and the raw material instead of the shoe’s design. The brand is also presently limited to shoes for men as the team strives to build a loyal clientele that can ensure a steady demand. According to the duo, women tend to switch between various brands and the project needs consistency in sales for now. So far, 60% of Markhor’s total sales have come from customers based in the United States.

Founders of the Markhor brand Sidra Qasim and Waqar Ali with a shoe-maker from Okara.  PHOTOS: MARKHOR COMPANY

Markhor is an online shoe brand that gives indigenous craftsmen a global clientele.  PHOTOS: MARKHOR COMPANY

Building a quality brand for Pakistan that can compete internationally remains the sole focus of Markhor. “Whoever buys from us knows where these craftsmen are from. It is [with their] stories and hard work that we have established this [online] community,” explains Ali. He elaborates that the project has ensured employment for a large number of local craftsmen and allowed them to polish their skills by learning new designs and techniques which is also the project’s top priority.



The company has also received further support from Plan9, one of the country’s largest technology incubator, and through its Kickstarter Campaign raised over $100, 000 in less than a month. The campaign also helped them cater to a wider clientele, which was earlier limited to just 500 individuals who knew the brand through word of mouth. “People were talking about us in the Silicon Valley which is the capitol of innovation,” says Ali. The campaign lifted his spirits and further strengthened his confidence in the brand. “Things will change slowly. People are talking about us in places we would have never thought we’d be able to reach,” says Qasim. The campaign has also helped market the brand within Pakistan.



“You have to be at the right place at the right time and it is not coincidental,” says Ali about the success of his brand. “It is all part of a God’s plan.” Although Qasim’s parents were not supportive of the venture in the beginning, they warmed up to it after witnessing their daughter’s achievements. “Starting a company is not an easy task whether you’re a man or a woman. But being a girl from a small town, I had to face a lot of challenges,” shares Qasim who belongs to a family where most of the women’s career choices were limited to teaching and she was expected to do the same. The duo who have survived against several odds is now known among their friends as the ones who never give up. Those who approach them for help are never turned away either.

Mariam Saeed Khan is presently a student of Political Sciences and Media Studies at the Lahore School of Economics.

She tweets @mariamsaeedkhan

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, December 14^th, 2014.