There is a reality show on cable where the camera follows several people who make a good portion of their yearly living hunting alligators in the swamps of the southeastern United States. At first, it might seem like a meaningless exercise until you realize how they use the beasts they find.
One of the ways they use the alligators is for their skins in bags and shoes. Right now, the market for exotic skin shoes is very high. Mens alligator shoes and luxury crocodile skin shoes can be very expensive. The same can be said for luxury ostrich skin boots and other exotic footwear.
When it comes to the shoe market, men’s dress shoes account for roughly 6%. It would not be typical to see a man’s closet full of shoes the way many women dream of having theirs be. At the same time, there has been a recent trend in men’s fashion that extends to footwear, with exotic skin shoes being a hot part of the overall trend.
Between the years of 2009 to 2014, men’s footwear experienced a retail value sales growth of a whopping 39%. This, in large part, is due to the burgeoning fashion sense of the millennial man. For many millennials, the fashion of shoes must follow a few new rules of style. They must be comfortable, durable, and unique. Shoes made from the exotic skin of animals such as alligators, crocodiles, and ostriches meet all three of those demands.
Spending a little extra money on shoes is not something that bothers men of this newer generation. They know what it is they are investing in and understand that when they do spend the money, they will be getting a quality product that will last.
Taking care of their shoes requires using the right type of polish and making sure they rotate them throughout the week. Also, filling them with shoe trees when they are not in use can extend the life of the shoes up to ten times.
But being trendy is not what the young professional male is all about. In fact, it is the new thing to be involved and at least emotionally invested in the brand being worn. In other words, trendy labels from generations past is no longer a thing. Rather, finding a new, independent label that makes quality clothes and shoes and spreading the word about the quality is something that is very much in fashion.
Exotic skin shoes for men are not necessarily trendy because they are exotic. They are trendy because they are high quality and that quality is sought after by this new generation that wants to make its mark not only with regard to their fashion sense but with regard to the industry, in general.
If you see a man in his mid-twenties sporting a pair of exotic skin shoes, ask him about them. He’ll probably tell you all you need to know.