p.10 misfit 9:FOOTWEAR NEW TEMPLAT 10 08 04/09/2009 09:10 Page 10
MISFIT
and, surprise surprise, cheap. Wooden soles were
rapidly replaced by moulded plastic, and the leather
uppers were replaced by plastic to sell for £2.99,
Misfit
which put the kybosh on the whole enterprise.
Which is what has happened to Crocs. The original
product was a clever space-age design and the
moulded material was similarly technically advanced;
this made them a superb target for anyone who
wanted to rip them off, which is exactly what has
happened. The originals retail for about £30, the
knock-off for £5 (or less (I saw some in our local
pound shop last week). The end of the story is not
hard to work out.
There is the little matter of fashion to consider as
well. As we all know, when a bandwagon starts to roll
Clogs to clogs
the trick is to get on quickly and then know when to
jump off. The big decision is when to jump off. The
fickle public is always looking for something new. As
we found with Swedish clogs; one moment everyone
was howling for them, and then, almost as if they had
been made illegal, no-one wanted to know. They are
still around – there may well be an advertisement for
L
ancashire folk have a saying “Clogs to clogs in
them in this fine journal, but for practical purposes,
three generations, meaning that grandfather
THE REASON
not as a fashion item.
starts a business, works hard, makes a fortune;
The same thing happened with Scholl sandals. They
father succeeds him and keeps it going without
COMMONLY
were everywhere and suddenly they weren’t, except
making a total mess of the enterprise, while his son
for people who wanted to exercise their feet, which is
assumes it is a cash cow and either invests unwisely
ACCEPTED IS THAT
what Dr. Scholl intended in the first place.
or simply wastes the capital on high living until he is
Like Scholl sandals and Swedish clogs there will
broke and back where grandpa started from.
THEY DO NOT WEAR
still be a market for Crocs, because they are a very
In case you don’t understand what I am talking
practical sort of footwear, but nothing like as big as it
about, the expression dates back to the days when OUT, WHICH, WITH
has been.
workers in the cotton mills could not afford shoes so
I have seen Crocs worn in hospitals, which seems a
went around in clogs. In these enlightened and DUE RESPECT M’LUD,
good idea because they can be sterilized, and I am
prosperous times it is the well-off who wear clogs in
the shape of Crocs, the light clogs from America
IS A LOAD OF
sure there are other sensible uses for them. I have
been told they float, which sounds good because you
which took the world by storm.
Well, some of the well-off, because quite a few
COBBLERS. THESE
can walk across a stony beach before swimming in
the sea, with your crocs floating by your side. Some
people would not be seen dead in them, which does
not include the present writer, who is neutral in such
DAYS PEOPLE DON’T
people have all the fun.
Nothing goes on for ever. We all know that, and it is
matters, but it seems not for much longer because
while their manufacturer sold lots and lots, made
WAIT UNTIL THEIR
easy for me to preach, but what do you do if you are
lucky enough to strike the jackpot?
millions, then lost millions and is now financially
embarrassed, according to press comment.
SHOES WEAR OUT
Simple – make more of the successful style. But
where? Factories are not elastic, and even if you do
The reason commonly accepted is that they do not
BEFORE BUYING
get yours to work a 24 hour day and a 360 day year
wear out, which, with due respect m’lud, is a load of
(five days’ generous holiday break) it will involve
cobblers. These days people don’t wait until their
ANOTHER PAIR. IF
recruiting new staff to work the shifts, who may or
shoes wear out before buying another pair. If they
may not have to commitment you expect, plus
did, we would all be down the job centre.
THEY DID, WE WOULD
wearing your machinery to a frazzle. Even then you
I write as an authority, because some time ago we
will not be able to cope with demand.
made a lot of money out of Swedish clogs. Older
ALL BE DOWN THE
You might be lucky enough to find another manu-
readers will remember them, they had wooden soles
facturer willing and able to take up the slack, but you
and a simple vamp stapled or nailed to the wood. Not JOB CENTRE.
will have to pay great attention to quality control as
a commodity newly invented, but for no apparent
well as checking the quantities produced. It is not
reason every young lady, and quite a few middle aged
unknown for outsourcers to make their own rip-offs.
ones as well, suddenly had to have a pair.
The thing not to do is invest in another factory, buy
Of course the few small Swedish factories who kept
new machinery, engage and train extra staff. That
the local market happy were unable to cope, so in no
seems the obvious thing to do, but when the music
time at all anyone who had a pulling-over machine
stops you may well be left with a lease you can’t sell,
and could find a competent wood turner was getting
machinery worth a fraction of what you paid and the
in on the act. It was not long before someone realised
pleasant job of telling the people you took on that
you didn’t have to use seasoned beech wood as the
they are back on the scrapheap.
Swedes did, but any old rubbish, the cheaper the
If you know what is good for you, you’ll resist the
better. I recall being offered some made of Obeche, a
temptation to conquer the world, make as much hay
wood I had never heard of before or since until I
as you can while the sun shines, and as soon as a
googled it and found it was a West African wood
cloud appears on the horizon, sell up and get out
which was light, did not splinter, was easily worked
before you lose the lot.
10
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FOOTWEAR TODAY
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SEPTEMBER 2009
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