“People have lost faith in shoes imported from China which are not durable. We grabbed the opportunity and filled the void and our home-made shoes are now in high demand,” said Gabriel Moyo, who sells his home-made shoes along Nelson Mandela Avenue in the capital.
The Chinese imports have become a subject of derision, with people calling them all sorts of names. Phrases such as ‘best before wear,’ ‘one minute shoes’ and ‘you will return to buy another one tomorrow’ have become popular, leading to the general decline in demand of Rexene shoes.
Other shoes are expensive and the general public cannot afford them, hence the high demand for home-made shoes, which are made from genuine leather.
“These shoes are long-lasting and durable; no blisters develop because they are proper leather – unlike plastic shoes which tend to be affected by hot weather,” said Moyo.
Alfred ‘Shoe Doctor’ Duri of Glen-Norah is well known for making good, lasting shoes and people travel long distances to his place to buy shoes.
“My fame rests on solid personal achievements. I have managed to send my children to school and many people come here to buy the shoes for resale. It is common to come across people wearing shoes that I have made, I know them because I have a unique way of making them,” said the Shoe Doctor.
Economic analyst Floyd Kadete said government should build proper infrastructure for informal traders to work from.
“Government and councils should find ways to help these people so that they can gain revenue through taxation,” said Kadete.
Post published in: News