shoes of labor

February 14, 2008

Most people don’t know that it takes more than an hour of labor to make most shoes and that they usually use lots of toxic adhesive. That’s what makes a “green and responsible shoe” a true challenge. Below is an attempt by Patagonia to present some of the benefits of globalization, while showing a fairly typical shoe-making operation in China these days. But as I stand back and take a look at all the work going on by people wearing gloves and masks, it makes me think: there must be a better way to make shoes…

At least there’s the ultra-responsible approach by Simple to make your own! Sure, there’s still the gigantic woes of the animal & tanning industries, but at least it can be assembled with fidgety hands while watching American Idol Gives Back.

Stumble it!

Tags: , China, Design, DIY, globalization, manufacturing, Patagonia, shoes, Simple