Markhor (A PAKISTANI SHOE BRAND) Success Story

College dropout Waqas Ali cofounded Markhor, a luxury men's shoe brand to promote Pakistan's indigenous shoe craft. The brand retails online, cutting out the middle-man and helping small-time artisans make a profit. Initially funded through a Kickstarter campaign, Markhor has worked with over 100 craftsmen and craftswomen in the country. Markhor is the first Pakistani startup to be accepted into -- and backed by -- Y Combinator.

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.

“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 in an interview.

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.

Markhor Story

Markhor was built on the notion that good products are the result of a good and happy community. We invest in the potential of our craftsmen. Markhor shoes fully integrate the values essential to our brand. The leather used for creating Markhor products comes from animals that have been bred only for meat production.

We strongly believe in evolving interactions with customers (friends as we call them) into genuine relationships. The team and the founders regularly interact with Markhor friends through various mediums to stay in touch. Markhor friends not only inspire us to deliver our best, but they also help us define who we are.