Oldmanstillrunning wrote:
All being made in Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia,etc. they still only pay the kids 25cents in the sweat shops. We're all being ripped off big time no matter what we buy. After all, they need to get the big bucks from us to pay for all those free shoes the elites get. Case in point: LeBron James's basketball shoes cost us $350, but still cost 25 cents to make. We're all so gullible .....or stupid.
Which is 25 cents more than they were getting before. And how did LeBron's shoes cost us that much. I had nothing to do with their production.
Orbitboy is a dyed-in-the-wool socialist who frequently whines about economic realities. As some more enlightened posters have pointed out, stuff will sell for as much as people are willing to pay for it.
Additionally, if a competitor brings out a shoe that starts to sell more, especially if they gain some advantage that allows them to price it more aggressively, you will need to respond. That may involve any number of decisions taken by specialists all the way from design of the shoe, to selling it online or in a store. Only a market economy allows for this flexibility of competition, and specialisation in the different stages in the journey of the shoe from an idea in a guy's mind to it appearing on your feet. The net result is increased quality and, eventually, lower prices. Just check out how much flat-screen TVs were ten years ago, and how much more bang for your buck you get now.