Improving the quality and performance of shoe upper leathers

摘要

The quality and available style range of shoes made almost anywhere in the world has been steadily improving over many years. As with most mass produced articles, footwear manufacturing costs have been driven down by the use of automation. However, when consumers buy leather footwear, quality is often at the top of their requirements. The price range is wide and varied and the old adage "you only get what you pay for" is often the deciding factor at the time of purchase. For the shoe manufacturer to produce a high quality product, not only is robust construction important, but also the use of good quality components. And quality shoe upper leather is essential for all types of footwear—from sandals, through shoes and boots to leather sports shoes and trainers. For the tanner who produces the shoe upper leather, there is little profit to be made from converting either high quality or expensive raw material into ordinary finished leather, or low quality raw material into low quality finished leather.