Indian police shoes are specified as black full-grain leather footwear with a direct-moulded (DMS) or direct-vulcanised (DVS) sole — a black leather DMS oxford for parade and duty, and a black high-ankle boot for patrol. This guide breaks down the upper, sole, colour and size requirements, and how to supply them on tender.
What a police shoe specification covers
State and city police tenders describe the footwear by its material and construction, not a brand. The recurring requirements are:
- Upper: black full-grain leather, plain or cap toe, closed (oxford) lacing for parade shoes.
- Sole: direct-moulded (DMS) PU/rubber or direct-vulcanised (DVS) rubber — bonded straight to the upper, no stitched seam. (See DMS vs DVS.)
- Colour: black for almost all duty and parade footwear; white for some traffic-police shoes.
- Sizes: a full run, typically 5–12, with mixed-size supply.
The standard parade/duty pattern follows IND/TC/3780 — the leather oxford DMS shoe used across police and defence.
The three police footwear types
- Black DMS parade shoe — the leather oxford worn with service dress for parade, gate and reception duty.
- High-ankle duty boot — a black leather boot with a DMS/DVS sole for patrol, field and night duty.
- PT / games shoe — for physical training and drill.
Traffic police, home guard, forest department and armed police battalions each issue variants of these, but the core spec — black leather, moulded/vulcanised sole — stays the same.
How police footwear is bought
Police departments procure footwear through state tenders and GeM (Government e-Marketplace). A supplier must be a registered seller, match the named specification, and provide lab test reports confirming the leather, sole and construction meet requirement. Orders are usually in bulk, against documentation. If you're procuring, name the exact spec (e.g. IND/TC/3780) so bids are comparable; if you're supplying, read our guide on buying footwear on GeM tender.
DBFootwear — police footwear manufacturer, Agra
DBFootwear manufactures black leather police shoes, DMS parade oxfords and high-ankle duty boots to specification at our Agra factory, with the full build in-house. We have supplied the Government of India since 1995 — originally through DGS&D rate contracts, and today as a registered GeM seller (seller 5116877, GeM since 2020) — with test reports and bulk capacity for tenders. Order from 12 pairs with mixed sizes, or in bulk up to 50,000 pairs a month.
Browse our Police footwear range, the wider Force & Uniform division, or ask about department-spec manufacturing.