With the economy the way it is, we wondered why do distinctive designer shoes cost so darn much?! We did a bit of digging and here is what we found:
Location, Location, Location
Its no surprise that lower priced shoes are often manufactured in places like China and Thailand by low-wage workers in massive factories while distinctive brands are often handmade in Europe by seasoned artisans that may produce only 200 pair a day (versus 10,000 pair a day in China). And these seasoned artisans charge around $90 per pair for labor alone compared to sub dollar hourly rates for low-wage workers.
Material
Again, no shocker here. Distinctive designers hand select most of the raw materials used in the crafting of each style of shoe...buying enough leather, fabric and hardware to cover the complete style run (depending on the style 10k - 15k pair) and a bit extra to cover defective or damaged pieces. Additionally, some of these designers spend a great deal on research and design using advanced materials to aid in padding and comfort.
On the flip-side, low-priced shoes are manufactured in masse, therefore all raw materials are contracted at bulk rates (think WalMart) to garner the lowest price possible. It would be nice to think the "designer" of lower-priced brands has control over the quality of raw materials that is purchased, but the truth is, most materials deviate 20% - 30% "off spec" from the original designer mock-up.
The "Must Have" Factor
The buzz we here at Shoeflair rely-on, is in-part, feeding the "designer perception machine" as we call it. The fact that Hollywood covets the small-niche, high-end designer doesn't help the rest of us buying after the shoes have hit the newspapers and trade rags. The reality is that we all want to bring home a little piece of Hollywood glamor to our urban or suburban lives. Retail chains and designer boutiques know this and adjust their prices accordingly. As you can imagine, the mark-up on distinctive designer brands (in-season) is extremely high...in some cases--double the "at-cost" value of the shoe.
