A gang of women stealing expensive shoes from outside the homes are active in the western suburbs. Though theft of shoes may seem innocuous and thus disregarded by the police for not being a serious crime, a marathoner from Andheri recently lost two pairs of running shoes worth Rs 50,000.

The theft of expensive running shoes was not the only loss suffered by the family of the marathoner identified as Bakul Suryakant Shinde, 30, a resident of Harmoni society at Poonam Nagar at Mahakali Caves road at Andheri East. The athlete’s father Suryakant Shinde who retired from ONGC company as chief superintendent also lost his branded shoes worth Rs 15,000.