This extraordinary book digs deep into the footwear industry’s core social and environmental issues; FOOT WORK by Tansy E Hoskins reveals the true cost of mass shoe productions.

Hoskins captures the human side of the shoe industry in a vivid way, covering the main topics from different perspectives and ultimately looking at the bigger picture. The overall human and environmental costs are staggering, driven by over-consumption and fuelled by ‘fast fashion’. The constant push for increasingly cheaper production over the years continues to be propelled by lax or non-existent regulations, lack of labour and human rights (particularly in Eastern Europe and the Global South), lack of corporate accountability, and the absence of political commitment to environmental protection.

Imagine the fallout. We produce over 24 billion pairs of shoes a year globally. On average each living person disposes of 3 pairs of shoes a year, 90% of which goes to landfills. Most shoe components are harmful to wildlife, some of which like EVA foam (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate - the most widely used compound for trainers’ midsole) take over 1000 years to biodegrade.

We wouldn’t want to give too much away, but FOOT WORK took us to some dark and dodgy places; from miserable children refugees in Turkey being forced to work in shoemaking whilst being exposed to dangerous working conditions, to workers in the biggest tannery district in Bangladesh who have a 90% chance of dying before the age of 50. There are worrying humanitarian consequences to consider with regards to the latest development in automation too. But thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom; in contrast the book provides plenty of food for thought, and some potential solutions which offer a brighter outlook - if only those who pull the strings would take heed and take a step back.

That’s why we think FOOT WORK is a must-read for every person working in the footwear industry since it’s an important eye-opener and influencing change is more effective from within.

CLICK HERE for FOOT WORK purchase links