By Nicole Tongson:
Once upon a time, (well, at the end of the eighteenth century according to the Oxford Dictionary as well as many other respected sources), a snob was a cobbler. The shoemaker, or snob was at the very bottom of the social ladder and was known to be of humble origin and lack a title.
Although the word has almost a complete opposite meaning today, we are proud at Eidia Lush to have found our team of true professional "snobs". They are by FAR the most talented artists I have ever had the pleasure of working with (and I come from a long background of professional art and design, so this is a big statement).
It seems as though over the past few years, shoemaking has become known as somewhat of a glamorous profession. Students are flocking to design school to become shoe designers and claim they have the chops and skills to make shoes. I can tell you by being immersed in the industry now for several years that it is far from glamorous. To be a shoemaker, you have to have patience to the fullest degree. While feeling the pressure of hundreds of unmade orders sitting behind you, you need to pay very close attention to EVERY SINGLE detail that crosses your eye. In today's society, we don't understand the concept of patience and NOT rushing, which is why you'll find a lot of true cobblers to be of an older generation.
I took a trip to California last weekend to visit 3 of our main cobblers in the workshop and will be posting some amazing pictures next week of where your Eidia Lush masterpieces are created and how. In the meantime, if you love the idea of true cobbling being still alive in the United States as much as I do, then you'll love the collection of "cobbler" themed images I've collected from Getty Images below:
Cobblers come in all shapes and sizes, from all countries and cities...the only problem is that it is a dying trade (one which is practically already dead in the United States). Because of the man hours invested in each pair of handmade shoes (for one pair of Eidia Lush shoes it takes more than 20+ solid hours), cobblers can't compete with mass manufacturers from China and other shoe exporting countries. By buying Eidia Lush shoes, you are helping bring back this trade to the United States. We are proud to have our team of professional cobblers (or snobs). Design your own pair of shoes today and support them!
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