The world is changing and so is the way we consume. A great part of society prefers to buy cheap products, to use and throw away, rather than investing in high quality goods that will last much longer.
Trickers is the oldest shoemaker in England, established in 1829. Their shoes are made to last, even a lifetime if looked after properly. This is due to them being made by hand, with great care and attention to detail. There are 260 individual processes to make a pair of Trickers, carried out by master shoemakers who have learned their trade over many years.
All of this is reflected on the price. A standard pair retails for around £400. At first, this may seem like a very high price that will put many people off. However, there are various factors that need to be taken into account. The amount of hours spent making the shoe, the years it has taken craftsmen to master this skill, the quality of the materials used and their lifetime.
Trickers can be resoled and repaired, making them seem brand new. As previously stated, they can last a lifetime if looked after properly, making them worth the money in the long run. However, many people don’t think about this and struggle to see the benefits of investing in something which will become profitable 10 years down the line. Therefore, we tend to buy cheaper shoes that will last us a year, and simply buy a new pair when they are beaten.
Lower quality shoes are usually mass manufactured, using materials, glues and processes which don’t make them last long. Furthermore, it might not be possible to repair/resole the shoes once they deteriorate or may even be more expensive than buying a new pair. This encourages people to buy instead of repairing, contributing to an increase in waste generation, the amount of raw materials used, the resources needed to make them and the carbon footprint.
Traditional manufacturers are finding it difficult to compete against multinationals, who can produce much cheaper and quicker. The attitude of society doesn’t help either and as a result less people are interested in learning the skill. Shoe making apprenticeships are not an easy task. There is a lot of learning and hard work involved and the pay is less than minimum wage. So why go through all this effort when there is no reward at the end? Less and less people are learning the skill. However, I don’t think we’ll ever see a complete demise of skilled manufacturing. Handmade products hold a special value. They have been carefully made, paying attention to detail. They are unique and arguably better. What do you think? Will we see a demise of skilled manufacturing as society continues to grow and change? I guess, only time will tell.