Mercedes Benz actually owns a farm, just for leather for the cars they build....that should shed some light on the cost of leather if a company like that would rather buy a huge farm, compared to buying outsourced leather.
Let me speak some knowledge young lad, I am 32 years old. I have been apart of the Jordan sneaker community since before it was popular, and I can tell you, Jordan's have always had workmanship/quality issues. But that is another topic.
Anyway, the prices are going up because..well the prices for materials are on the rise. Like I said, it's not only affecting shoes. Freight alone has more than double in the last 15 years. That means if it cost $100 to ship 10 pairs, it now cost $200 to ship the same amount of pairs. For Nike, multiply that by millions. The cheaper materials that we see are actually more than likely more expensive than the same "better" materials from years ago. Chinese labor is cost has been rising, automotive companies are looking in to producing parts in the states now. Go to McDonalds, the Big Mac is smaller, and more expensive...pretty much a Retro of the original. Lol. Why should sneakers be excluded from inflation?
What I am trying to say is, the price these companies contribute are going up, so the consumers prices will rise, to keep prices from having a huge spike, they usually cut corners. Like that Big Mac for example, could have stayed the same size, but for $10.. They chose a smaller sandwich for $5.
My logic may be a little twisted, but you get the point right? Simple Economics
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