IF THE SHOE FITS...
I'm wearing the most comfortable shoes in the world. No, really. They're seriously comfy.
What I'm about to spell out is a seriously conscious but totally plausible degree of consumer information. This is what we as intelligent consumers should be able to find here in New Zealand.
In probably my most explicit carbon sin I tend to buy shoes from REI in the States - maybe once a year. They're air freighted rather than shipped from China - as your typical retailer would have them. My shoes have done an extra few thousand k's than the average kiwi pair.
On a purely "shoe miles" measure my shoe purchases are bad form. But the last two pair I've bought have not only been comfy, they've had some ethical credential behind them.
I mentioned Timberland in my Open Sesame post back in March. I've a pair of theirs which - had I brought them today - would come with their own "nutrition label". Timberland are serious about their place within their community.
But my new shoes are from Simple. Not only are they amazingly snug, they're made by a seriously environmentally conscious company. Simple's shoe ingredient list includes recycled PET plastic, hemp, recycled rubber, water based glues... the list goes on. Talk about good on the foot.
Further than that, in shipping my shoes from REI I have supported a consumer owned co-operative. That's right, REI, one of the largest outdoor goods retailers in the States, is owned by it's members. But wait there's more. REI report explicitly on their environmental stewardship.
REI are not too dis-similar to the impeccable Patagonia in adopting a staunchly positive business position within its community. We simply don't see that degree of community grounding here in New Zealand. So, either through ShoppingFix or through another push of mine I'm gonna do something about it.
There are some pretty cool shoe stories out there. Just ask.
In short, if the shoes fit, ask some questions. If they talk listen. If they're silent they've probably got something to hide.
4 comments:
"My shoes have done an extra few thousand k's than the average kiwi pair."
Are there even any shoes made in NZ these days? I know of a few companies like Minnie Cooper (women's shoes only) and Last Shoe Company (mostly outdoors-oriented), but do you know of any NZ companies that are making stylish men's shoes? I gave up on NZ-made shoes some time ago due to the lack of quality and style, but if there's anyone local out there making shoes to match the best of Italy and England, then I'd rather buy local.
no, not aware of any "majors" made here. i think last footwear moved production to fiji about 5 years ago...
with shoes i tend to subscribe to the nz institute and better by design thinking. we can do better than make shoes. having said that i'm all for local niches...
i'm guessing that in shipping my shoes from the us, they've gone china-us-nz. if i went down to the local i assume it'd be china-nz direct...
you're bang on the mark with "lack of quality and style". if england can do it then surely we can too.
it seems that most NZ outdoor manufactures and sellers relay on goods manufactured offshore. I'd particularly single out Kathmandu as they started this trend with their agressive discouting. Both MacPac and Fairydown have been forced to move their production offshore to compete with Kathmandu. I now make a point of not buying their gear, even though some of it is pretty good, plus cheaper than local stuff.
t.v, there's a bit of that flavour in this old post from last august (i've kinda taken my own advice...).
norsewear and swazi have recently teamed up for their wellington store. maybe joining forces is the only way to viably keep a high street presence in the face of cheap imports.
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