Footwear
is one of the fastest growing category in the men's fashion accessories.
It has been in vogue since centuries and has witnessed a lot many
changes in terms of fashion and style. History of Men's Footwear
The history of men's footwear dates back to the Ice Age when men wore shoes made from animal skin to protect their feet from extreme temperature. The earliest shoes were thus made of leather and the sole was generally made of cowhide. These shoes were rough and only served the purpose of protecting the feet from stones, thorns, small animals and also cold temperature.
With the passage of time different type of footwear were designed. According to certain historians, Pharaoh in Egypt (3000BC) & men of authority wore sandals as a sign of rank & power. Certain tribes in Australia wore specially made shoes from emu feathers on certain special occasions. These were considered to be ceremonial shoes.
During the 18th century, the quality of footwear for men improves and the designing also became more stylish. Dyes were used for coloring, and leather was further processed to make it more soft and more comfortable. The designing was more refined and came with rich ornamentation.
Since then over the centuries a lot of innovations have been made in terms of raw materials used, designing, and manufacturing technologies to meet the needs of buyers and also keep pace with the changing fashion.
Types of Footwear
There are different types of footwear available for men. These can be categorized based either on the occasion they are worn at or for a purpose they are worn. Some of the popular types of men footwear are:
- Boots: Cow boy boots, Riding boots, Wellington boots, Ugg boots
- Shoes: Trainers, Sneakers, Galoshes
- Sandals: Flip flops
- Special purpose footwear: Ski boots, Climbing shoes, Snow shoes
- Loafers
- Moccasin
- Leather
- Plastic
- Wood
- Rubber
- Textiles
- Jute
Centuries back footwear was worn only because of the purpose it served, that of protecting a man's feet. These days footwear is no longer a mere functional object, it is a popular men fashion accessory. The designing of men's footwear is directly driven by the international or domestic fashion scenario. A change in fashion or lifestyle with immediately affect the type of footwear being manufactured by men. This explains why in one particular season, flat front shoes might be popular and in the other, pointed shoes are popular. Manufacturers therefore have to be flexible enough to adjust their production as per the change in fashion.
Global Production Scenario
The last decade has witnessed a a huge demand in footwear and hence the rising production and exports in the global market. Since the industry is closely related to the fashion and lifestyle, change in both will affect the men's footwear industry. A change in fashion thus requires the manufacturers to respond quickly, shorten their product development and response times.
The last few years have also witnessed a sharp rise in the demand of casual and sports shoes segment. The so called 'low-cost' countries including , China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Bangladesh in the Asian Continent are some of the largest manufacturers of high quality footwear for men. These countries are the best locations for catering to the global footwear market and have recorded an average annual rate of nearly 9 % in the last five years. China is heading the world production of footwear with nearly 60% of the total world production and is exporting on a large scale to many countries across the globe.
Table listing top ten 'low-cost' countries for Footwear (world export %)
Source: Global-production.com
| Critical Success Factors | ||||||||
| Short production time | Short Response time | |||||||
| Innovation in technology | Innovative raw materials | |||||||
| Proximity to customers | Proximity to markets | |||||||
| Ability to adapt to changing fashion | Ability to adapt to changing lifestyle | |||||||