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Waiting for the other shoe to drop: Shoemakers
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Ever since the Great Recession started more than five years ago, Americans have been paying closer attention to how we bring in a regular paycheck. But the American labor market started changing long before the financial crisis. In the Marketplace series, "Disappearing Jobs" we take a look at the changing job market, one profession at a time.
Look down at your shoes. When was the last time you considered how they were made?
Chances are, the ones you're wearing were made overseas -- mass produced in a factory.
So it shouldn't be a surprise that shoemakers here in the U.S. are disappearing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the next ten years, there will be 1,400 fewer shoemakers than there are right now.
But in Los Angeles, there's a shop dedicated to making shoes the old-fashioned way -- custom fitted and made to order. It's run by Raúl Ojeda, who opened Don Ville Shoes in 2011.
But how does a young guy decide to get into a trade that's on the way out?
"It has always been almost a passed-down-through-generations thing, more so than something you learn in school," said Ojeda.
He thinks the movement away from that model has hurt others in his generation.
"Our parents decided they were going to work really hard and give us some money to go to school so that we didn't have to work as hard as they did," Ojeda said. "I think that was a big mistake becuase now you have kids of my age who don't know how to do anything. You don't have a lot of craftsmen being trained by their families anymore."
You also don't have a lot of people regularly visiting those crafstmen anymore.
Ojeda is always suprised by how many people who come into his shop say they didn't know shoe repair shops even existed. But Ojeda said customers like that bring lots of potential possibility.
"Before you knew that you could fix your shoes, you would never get them fixed," Ojeda explained. "And now you might actually start to take care of them."
Ojeda said his five-year plan is to grow. He wants to start a small factory that could make 100 pairs of shoes a month and that would allow him to bring that price per pair down.
"The idea is to really fill everyone with the idea that you can no longer buy shoes from the store," said Ojeda.
I make patterns for costumes for professional theater. It takes a lot of work to make costumes and those in fashion can't always make costumes as many times don't know the period details. I see very few people going into making costumes and I fear it may be a dying art form
I used to do custom sewing. I sewed for 2 decorators and our main focus was custom window treatments. It all ended in July 2009. People could no longer pay for the custom work and we were out of business. Walmart and Target offer cheap window treatments and the quality of the products are horrible. Like CelesteCraft noted above - please buy products that have meaning to you and your family and that are crafted with love and hard work. I miss the business but had to get a more stable source of income as I have two kids in college. Sewing is very rarely taught in school these days and I can see the day when the USA will rely on other countries to do our sewing. It is already happening I'm afraid.
As a craftsperson, I recognize how so many people prefer WalMart prices and forget about the process. But still, there are many of us who don't want to own disposable things. We want our lives to have things that last, that mean something to us, and that come from a place we respect and admire. Craftspeople have a hard road ahead, but I love that our work survives.
As a men's haberdasher here on the East coast I've seen the disappearance of some of the old-world tailors and manufacturers. I've been in the neckwear luxe market for many years. We've lost so many great makers of ties, now that we see such an influx of ties made in China. But I stay encouraged that we still have a couple makers still left that make a great handmade tie.
I recently switched to USA made work shoes (already buy USA running) after the Scandinavian brand I bought for many years shipped production to Asia.
Amazing quality and bespoke detail. Plus, since they can be rebuilt they'll last onto the foreseeable future, ultimately making th comparably priced.
