New David Peters blog explains why online shoe sales hurt leather
05/05/2016
In his column for May, Mr Peters explains that consumers have grown so used to choosing shoes based on photographs on a website, they may “no longer connect with the sensory aspects of leather”. This has led to a situation in which what the shoe feels like comes a distant second to what it looks like, and touching and feeling the product before buying is no longer necessary.
This has made it easier for brands to “de-content leather from footwear”, Mr Peters says. He adds that profit margin is an important factor too, of course, and says: “The record-setting hide prices of 2014 have caused leather to lose a meaningful segment of the shoe industry and it is doubtful that this sector will return any time soon.”
He concludes the blog entry, which subscribers can read in full here, by saying companies in the leather industry are going to have to remain patient and wait for the designers, engineers and fashionistas to “rediscover the sensual appeal of leather”.
Image courtesy of Micam.
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