On: America has no use for hides, so leather prices plunge

[pbhjpbhj]

Shoe prices must be rock bottom, right?

[wincy → pbhjpbhj]

Time to get some whole cut leather shoes, now on sale from $700 to only $600! $5 for the hide and $595 for the shoemakers labor. (Handmade stuff is expensive)

[seanmcdirmid → pbhjpbhj]

Shoes don’t use a lot of leather at all.

[gingabriska → pbhjpbhj]

But shoes aren't priced for raw material used, they've brand value which fetches higher price which mostly has to do with social signaling.

[bdowling → gingabriska]

That’s not true if you’re talking about well-made men’s dress shoes. In that market, the best shoes are the best entirely because of materials and workmanship. Brand mainly indicates the level of quality you should expect as a buyer. Also, the brand can’t serve much of a social signaling function because usually trademarks aren’t visible and designs are traditional.

[jefftk → bdowling]

That makes sense, but since you're mostly paying for expert labor, decreases in the cost of the raw materials won't affect the price much.