State of Joy, Anatom.
For years, innovation in the performance footwear industry has largely centred around lighter materials, softer cushioning, improved grip and advanced sole technologies. While these developments have reshaped how athletic shoes perform, one aspect of footwear design has remained largely unchanged, the narrow toe box. Despite advancements in comfort and technology, most shoes continue to taper towards the front, placing the toes in a position that differs significantly from their natural anatomical shape.
As awareness around biomechanics and movement science continues to grow, footwear experts are increasingly highlighting the role that natural toe splay plays in balance, stability and efficient movement. Rather than being compressed together, the toes are designed to spread during walking, running and training, helping create a stronger and more stable base. Yet conventional footwear has normalised a silhouette that often prioritises appearance over the way the human foot naturally functions.
It is this industry-wide design convention that homegrown performance footwear brand State of Joy seeks to challenge with the launch of Anatom, its new wide toe box performance shoe collection and an accompanying digital campaign that encourages consumers to rethink what they expect from their footwear.
State of Joy Anatom: How the Wide Toe Box Performance Shoe Was Designed Around Natural Foot Movement
Instead of positioning Anatom as simply another sneaker launch, the brand has built its latest campaign around a broader conversation about foot anatomy and movement. The digital film begins with bare feet moving naturally across a forest trail before tracing the evolution of footwear design over centuries, asking whether modern shoes have gradually moved away from the way the human body was originally designed to move.
The campaign then shifts to the product development process, showcasing anatomical studies, design sketches and in-house prototyping sessions that informed the creation of Anatom. At its core is a wide toe box construction that allows the toes to spread naturally inside the shoe, supporting balance, stability and push-off during movement while maintaining the cushioning and everyday usability expected from modern performance footwear.
"Most shoes today are designed around what has become an accepted silhouette, but very few begin with the anatomy of the human foot," said Bachi Pulella, Co-founder of State of Joy. "When we started working on Anatom, we didn't begin by sketching a sneaker. We began by studying how the foot naturally spreads, stabilises and generates movement. The product is the outcome of that process, and the film invites people to question a design convention that has gone largely unquestioned for decades."
Natural Foot Movement and Biomechanics: Why State of Joy Believes Performance Shoes Need a Different Design Philosophy
The founders believe that footwear innovation should be driven by biomechanics as much as material science. According to Dasari Raju Ramesh, Co-founder of State of Joy, the company's vision extends beyond introducing a new product category.
"The future of performance footwear lies in understanding how the body actually moves," he said. "Consumers today are becoming more informed about mobility, posture and long-term comfort. We wanted to create a shoe that works with the foot instead of asking the foot to adapt to the shoe. Anatom reflects our belief that better movement begins with better design."
The launch also represents a broader strategic direction for State of Joy, which has steadily expanded its presence in India's performance footwear market. The brand has sold nearly half a million pairs of footwear, is on a revenue trajectory from â¹80 crore towards â¹100 crore, has built a retail presence across more than 4,000 multi-brand outlets and is preparing to open its first exclusive brand outlet.
Indian Performance Footwear Brand State of Joy Is Building Research-Led Innovation for Everyday Athletes
"Our goal has never been to follow trends," the founders added. "We want to build an Indian performance footwear brand rooted in research, innovation and long-term product thinking. Anatom is one step in that journey, but more importantly, it starts a conversation about designing footwear around people rather than around convention."
As consumers increasingly look beyond aesthetics and place greater emphasis on comfort, function and long-term foot health, wide toe box footwear is beginning to attract wider attention across the performance category. By placing natural movement at the centre of its design philosophy, State of Joy is positioning Anatom not merely as a new product, but as an alternative way of thinking about how performance footwear should be built, one that begins with the human foot rather than the industry's traditional design template.
