High blood sugar can cause severe nerve damage, otherwise known as neuropathy, leaving the feet vulnerable to foot injury, slowing down healing, and leading to infection. So, protecting feet becomes crucial. And working hard in that area is Dr. Brinsley, a diabetic footwear brand from Chennai, founded by Vidhan Bhaiya.
Student turned entrepreneur
For Vidhan, it all began when he came to India, during his winter break from Northeastern University Boston, to attend a family wedding. It was family photo shoot time and his favorite uncle preferred to be at the back of the picture. Dressed in a dapper suit, his style icon uncle was the last person to shy away from the camera. Then what prompted this bout of bashful behavior? Turned out Vidhan’s uncle had been diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy and had been forced to wear them ugly-looking so called diabetic shoes, an apology for footwear, made only to serve the purpose of protecting his feet. Vidhan says, “People I knew who had diabetes, would joke (of course) that they’d rather give up their foot than wear those shoes. I saw a huge audience for diabetic footwear once I’d done my research. I wanted to explore a path where people wouldn’t have to choose between looking good and feeling good.”
For Vidhan it opened up a new path to trek up. Why can’t there be stylish, smart footwear for diabetic patients? Turning into an entrepreneur was not new to Vidhan. He came from a reputed business family, that was already in the footwear manufacturing industry. Question was, should he wait to complete his undergrad program in Chemical Engineering? His alma mater Northeastern University in Boston, pretty much answered that question for him. Vidhan received a lot of support in the form of grants and encouragement through IDEA: Northeastern University’s Venture Accelerator. He collaborated with them and researched components and materials that went into shoemaking. As his research grew, his learning and passion in the field grew in leaps and bounds. And then one fine day, he took a six-month break and landed up in Chennai.
Vidhan reminisces, “I knew that diabetic footwear was not new. The science has been around as long as the problem has been, and footwear has been made for many years. Except, there are inherent design challenges in making the right kind of footwear. I had to learn and understand materials and components that go into making good-, and good-looking footwear. Basically, how to make them with the latest materials and components. Even before that, I had to first identify the exact design goals. You see, there are no global standards that specify how diabetic footwear should look and work.” But ask anyone who’s been diagnosed with diabetes or is suffering from DFUs and they’ll tell you how painful it is to walk in one size/ style fits all kind of shoes. Diabetic footwear is designed to protect the wearer’s feet, while offering comfort. The shoes are fitted with extra depth to accommodate in soles and orthotics. Having said that, there are few shoes in the market that can fulfil the style quotient too. They’re often bulky and well, black almost always. It’s only very recently that diabetic footwear is seeing a makeover. Comfort and protection with yes, style factored in.
Stepping into production
Vidhan set off on this track. He interviewed more than 200 doctors, dove deep into research, and literature that was already out in the market. He arrived at four fundamental design goals.
- Evenly distribute plantar pressure
- Accommodate bone deformities
- Reduce sheer and friction
- Prevent external shock
“Now I had to go make a shoe,” he laughs. “I packed my bags and traveled to Civitanova Marche in Italy, known for the high quality of shoes made there. I had no plan, no idea what I wanted to do or whom I wanted to meet. I just wanted to find answers to my questions. And I didn’t even know the language. But through a chaotic process of talking to folks here and there, asking waiters and locals, I stumbled upon a mom-and-pop diabetic footwear factory, who had been in business for many years!” It was his ahaa moment, and earned him a Masterclass on footwear, the material, on the heart and sole of it.
“That was foundational for me! So, I came back and made some shoes. With this context, I was empathizing with the problems and learnt to apply the design thinking principles to it,” says Vidhan. It was ideating, innovating, making and rapid testing that took up all his time. Meanwhile, he was given a grant from Northeastern University to support this work. That helped speed up the process of learning and innovating. So, he picked up his shoes and began visiting doctors and hospitals in Chennai. Once they saw the footwear and tested it, they were ready to buy it or recommend it. But when Vidhan demurred saying it’ll take a good six months to bring it market, they (not so) politely told him to get out and come back when he was ready with some numbers. Further validation came from a conference he attended. “I remember introducing these designs and out of a hundred attendees, at least 25 came up to me and were ready to buy. Seemed like everyone knew someone who had a father or uncle or brother who suffered from diabetic foot,” he reminisces.
Vidhan then took eight months off in 2019 from college to launch his company in India. He was awarded a very generous grant from the Sherman Family in Boston to work on his own company, with no expectation or reward. However, even for someone who had grown up in India, starting a business was no piece of cake. There were untold, unexpected challenges that sprang up each time. “But I learnt a lot, and our products finally got approved across quite a few organizations such as Apollo Sugar, Ruby Hospital, NetMed,” remembers Vidhan.
By then it was time for Vidhan to get back and finish his degree. He says ruefully, “I thought I’d be able to run this company remote, but didn’t work that way. I needed to be here to open deals. When I graduated in 2020, I decided to come back and continue running the company because I saw a future. According to research, there are about 425 million people suffering from diabetes globally. Of these 80 million people live in India. Over half of this number is recommended to wear diabetic footwear, and 25% must wear it. That’s roughly about two crore people who need to be wearing it.” Vidhan and his team did the math – about four crore footwear are needed in India, and even conservatively speaking, it seemed like a good enough number to work on. They went back to hospitals, but then Covid had already hit. Doctors and hospitals did not have the bandwidth to focus on any ailment, other than the one that caused the pandemic. Of course. That’s when Vidhan decided to pivot – and took the Direct-to-consumer route for Dr. Brinsley. They got a ton of good press. However, Vidhan and his team were now 100% sure that this was very relatable to a lot of people. Everyone knew someone who had diabetes and could benefit from good- and good-looking footwear. Thus, through press coverage and word of mouth, Dr. Brinsley’s sales came and still come through inbound channel, rather than performance marketing (which is only waiting to happen).
Stepping out of comfort zone
So how does a Summa cum laude in Chemical Engineering from Boston’s Northeastern University use his degree with diabetic footwear? Vidhan is quick to respond, “Oh the engineering approach helped a lot in product design and the chemical engineering education helps us understand materials, the kind of foams and components we use.” Currently enrolled in an MBA program at Harvard Business School, Vidhan is looking to apply his business learnings to this company back home. The manufacturing unit in Puducherry is small, with a lean and mean workforce. When asked about his plans to scale, Vidhan reflects, “I run this more as a social for-profit enterprise, as the impact is very important to me. We sell through pharmacies and medical equipment stores. We have a multistore diabetic footwear chain, online pharmacy retailers, a hospital chain, all of whom are keen on the product and willing to help me scale.”
Vidhan is confident that given time Dr. Brinsley will be a success. He confesses, “What the company needs right now is a solid partnership in distribution. I am worried about the challenges in reaching the customer or user, and thereby not giving them access to options which can impact their lives. The amount of information in this field is very low and while I know that it is not possible to reach all the millions of people with diabetes, I would like to help at least some of them. So, finding the right partner who understands distribution is crucial for me at the moment.”
Vidhan doesn’t want to wait until he graduates from Harvard to move the company forward. As of now he flies back and forth between Boston and Chennai, and his team works under his remote supervision to fulfil the orders he gets. A chance meeting with Dr. Sangeetha Reddy at a Harvard conference opened the doors to Apollo Hospitals for Dr. Brinsley. He explains, “I am on the lookout for someone who has access to patients and can solve for distribution. As of now a multistore diabetic footwear chain, online pharmacy retailers, one hospital chain – all of whom are interested in helping me scale in this business.
I can’t hold back my curiosity any longer. Who is this Dr. Brinsley, I ask.
Vidhan laughs, “Richard Brinsley – it was a family brand launched 15 years ago when my father decided to bring European footwear and designs to India. They operated in Lifestyle, Metro, and some major outlets. Unfortunately, a fire at our factory brought the whole unit down. My father didn’t end up relaunching the brand; and since this was medical footwear, and I had an emotional connect to it, I used it.”
That’s an interesting idea – to bring back to life a brand that holds sentimental value. Add passion to it, and back it up with research and know how: you have the makings of a winning brand. Vidhan is determined and confident to make a success of Dr. Brinsley. He has a huge market waiting for exactly a product that he makes: helping ease the pain of diabetes, one pair at a time. Ask Dr. Brinsley.
Awards and recognition:
(these are just a few listed here)
- Covered by the Boston journal for their 25 under 25 annual feature
- Global Impact award – $40,000 awarded by the Best Buy Foundation
- Dr. Brinsley and Vidhan’s work has been featured on Forbes, Times of India, TED, Better India and PBS
Dr. Brinsley’s diabetic footwear offers quite a choice for customers. Cool, chic designs in smart, stylish colors give the wearer no cause for complaint. And testimonials speak volumes for the brand. From “No one knows I’m diabetic” to “I walked all kinds of terrain” to “My feet feel like they’re being massaged” it’s customer satisfaction every step of the way.
