Australian footwear company Feit

Women's footwear from Feit

Today's consumer craves authenticity more than ever. And it's not just in product design that we seek  it. We want to our interactions with brands to be real and meaningful. Feit, an Australian footwear company I discovered recently, has created a brand that cuts through a lot of the noise in the fashion and footwear industry today. High quality, long life-span, handmade product is Feit's focus, manufacturing exclusively in limited, sustainable batches. 

This behind-the-scenes video (below) shows a jaw dropping amount of craftsmanship, making their price point seem very reasonable. Click here to go to Feit's website. 

Craftsmanship: the forgotten value

It's no secret that cheap and poorly made product is now commonplace worldwide. Plagiarised, cookie-cutter and low quality fashion continues to dominate much of the mid to low markets. Some say craftsmanship and quality is simply a pursuit of the elite. Other's believe that an ethically made, high quality product is the most democratic of all. Either way, a simple truth lies in the fact that quality product isn't thrown in the bin after a few uses. Further still, if one values and cherishes a product for it's beauty and make, it will be kept and looked after for many many years.

Whilst we may see less and less craftsmanship in the mainstream market, there's always one sure place to find craftsmanship in product and that's with heritage brands. Take Sanders, the English shoe company who still proudly (and profitably) make in England. Ongoing collaborations with American fashion designer Mark McNairy help bring their expert product to new markets (and for women too).  It's a pleasure to watch this video below. And yes, apparently there are more than 5 processes to shoe making (although you wouldn't know it by the quality of today's broader shoe market).

AO