Handmade vs Handcrafted?

What does 'Handmade' mean in the fashion industry?

These days, everything qualifies as “Handmade” or “Handcrafted“. This is especially true in the shoe industry but also extends to virtually everything. Today we are looking at a few very important and different things. First of all we will discuss the difference of “Handmade Vs Handcrafted Leather Shoes“.

Terminology is often one of the most misunderstood or misinterpreted things in the world. For a good reason too. Both Handmade and Handcrafted sound extremely similar. However, the definitions are pretty clear when you think about it.

The word “Handmade” implies that something has been made by hand. Completely. Entirely. This is a shoe (or item for that matter) that is 100% made by hand without any use of  machinery.

On the other hand, we call “Handcrafted” something that is a mixture of the above and hand-operated machinery.

According to a very fascinating scientific article from the Technology Innovation Management Review (Source):

 

“Luxuries that are handmade using only traditional tools and techniques or that involve personal delivery by highly skilled individuals persist in their capacity to command high prices beyond the reach of the general population. Moreover, they might even become rarer as the skills required in their production become increasingly scarce.”
TIM Review, July 2015

Our tools- the foundation of our craft

Here at Unmarked, we do things ‘the old-fashioned way’. Without our traditional tools, we would be lost. They enable us to turn hides of leather into the most beautiful and charming of creations, each product unique in its own special way. Let’s take a look at some of the tools and techniques we use to handcraft our boots & Shoes.