Especially when every single Nike these days is made in China. The $15 and the $95 shoe are most probably built side by side by the same kid. I need to look it up again to be sure but the actual cost of making a Nike shoe and getting it into the Footlocker display case was lower than $2/pair. Minus the advertising money. But that doesnt make the $95 Nike better than the $15 Starbury.
Just to quibble around the edges.
Nike makes the bulk of its shoes in China, but also has significant production in both Vietnam and Indonesia. It's not good business to rely too heavily on just one developing (read: possibly unstable) country. Plus, wages are rising in China.
An even more minor quibble, it's not kids doing this kind of work, but usually migrant women ages 20-40. Agree that Marbs shoes could be made at some of the same exact factories, using the same exact material suppliers. Though I assume some of Nike's suppliers likely have enough orders from Nike so that they don't take on other work. But there's a pretty readily accessible list of sneaker factories that can and do make export-quality goods.
The $2 per pair estimate sounds too low to me, but I haven't dealt in that industry. I would be interested in any data or links that anyone has that could shed more light on that.
I somewhat object to everyone's negative characterization of Chinese sweatshops. People line up for those jobs ... as the alternative is usually being a poor farmer doing even harder work for longer hours and less compensation. Outside pressure (from int'l concerns) is improving the conditions, while the labor supply is driving up wages. The minimum wage was just increased 30% down in the Pearl River Delta (north of Hong Kong, where many of the shoe and electronics factories are located), in part to keep workers from trekking up to the Yangtze River area (outside Shanghai) where factory wages were higher. So, in an imperfect and creaky way things are getting better for the factory workers of China. That is, until their jobs get outsourced to cheaper countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, etc. It can be a ruthless, exploitative business.
I am impressed that the Marbs kicks are going for only $15. Hell, I pay about $19 for Air Jordan knock-offs here in Shanghai, which look great but typically last only 4+ months of twice-a-week hoopage. I love what Marbs is doing. Even if he makes Zero $ off of this, the publicity he is getting is great (and the Knicks are paying him around $16 M already).
The next step is to get the Starbury shoes and product line made in factories in Africa. I read somewhere that Steve & Barry try to keep costs down by sourcing in Africa where possible (US import taxes are very low). Anybody got Steph's mobile # so I can get the word out to him.
[Edited by - BoDid on 09-03-2006 01:13 AM]
9/2/2006 12:07 PM
