THE ENDURING VALUE OF THE HANDMADE LUXURY SNEAKER

UNVEILING THE BENEFITS OF HANDMADE SHOES FOR MEN: WHY THE INVESTMENT IN QUALITY IS AN INVESTMENT IN LONGEVITY

THE MARKET FOR MEN'S SNEAKERS IS VAST AND MOSTLY DISPOSABLE. OBJECTS PRICED AS LUXURIES BUT MADE WITHOUT THE DECISIONS THAT LUXURY REQUIRES. LEATHER THAT WILL NOT DEVELOP. CONSTRUCTION THAT CANNOT BE REPAIRED. LASTS DESIGNED FOR PHOTOGRAPHS RATHER THAN FEET. THE PRICE IS HIGH. THE ENDURING VALUE IS NOT.

THE HANDMADE LUXURY SNEAKER IS A DIFFERENT CATEGORY OF OBJECT. NOT BECAUSE IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE, THOUGH IT MAY BE. BECAUSE THE DECISIONS MADE IN ITS PRODUCTION ARE DIFFERENT IN KIND, NOT JUST IN DEGREE.

WHAT THE DECISIONS ARE

FULL GRAIN LEATHER FROM A NAMED TANNERY, SELECTED BY EYE FOR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND SURFACE CHARACTER. A PROPRIETARY LAST BUILT TO SATRA SPECIFICATIONS AROUND CORRECT FOOT ANATOMY. CONSTRUCTION THAT ALLOWS THE SOLE TO BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITHOUT DISTURBING THE UPPER. A DENSE RUBBER COMPOUND THAT WEARS SLOWLY AND HOLDS ITS PROFILE.

NONE OF THESE ARE VISIBLE AT THE POINT OF PURCHASE. ALL OF THEM ARE FELT OVER THE YEARS OF WEAR THAT FOLLOW.

THE ECONOMIC CASE

A HANDMADE LEATHER SNEAKER BUILT WITH THESE DECISIONS, MAINTAINED CORRECTLY AND RESOLED WHEN THE SOLE WEARS THROUGH, LASTS DECADES. THE COST DIVIDED BY THE YEARS OF SERVICE IS LOWER THAN THAT OF INFERIOR SHOES REPLACED EVERY EIGHTEEN MONTHS. THE INVESTMENT IS REAL. THE ENDURING VALUE IS GREATER.

THE ENDURING VALUE OF THE HANDMADE LUXURY SNEAKER IS NOT A MARKETING CLAIM. IT IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE DECISIONS MADE IN THE MAKING. AT 1812, THOSE DECISIONS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING.