“Because I bought barefoot footwear from you and now I see that Temu is selling them at a very low price, I’m wondering if the product is yours? Because your pictures are on their site,” a user recently wrote to us.
We want to emphasize that our footwear is sold only under the Proalp brand and its logos. We manufacture them ourselves and sell them only through our own sales network. The materials and manufacturing methods we use would not be compatible with the sales policies and prices of online retailers.
Many barefoot shoes made from cheap materials are available on online platforms, and if you’ve ever seen our pictures there, it’s a “fake” and misleading practice against which authentic providers have no influence.
However, we would also like to emphasize that at Proalp, we advocate for consumers to prioritize purchasing local products. Why?
In Slovenia (and also more broadly in the EU), high standards of production, safety, and environmental protection apply, making Slovenian products worth buying due to their high quality.
Local products have shorter transport routes, lower CO2 emissions, and are thus more environmentally friendly.
As buyers of local products, we have direct access to the manufacturer and fewer intermediaries in the supply chain. An advantage for manufacturers is also that we know our product very well.
This supports the local economy and job preservation, enables development and innovation within our own region, and thus keeps money circulating within the local economy.
Perhaps the higher price of local products compared to products from Asian countries deters us.
This is because we have higher standards regarding wages, working conditions, and social rights than workers in the Far East.
Additionally, stricter environmental standards apply in the EU, which manufacturers must respect. This is more expensive, but certainly more sustainable.
Slovenian manufacturers use high-quality and higher-priced materials, and we invest a lot of attention to detail in our products. The result is a quality product worth investing in when purchasing.
Let’s also raise the question: To what extent do consumers ask about the origin of the products they buy?
Today, easy access to a product and its low price count for a lot when making a purchase.
Fast fashion brands and large online providers enable easy purchase of cheap and mass-produced items. Buyers purchase quickly without checking product details.
If a low-priced product is available, we often choose it without questioning where it was made, and we don’t even consider all aspects of its quality, environmental impact, and ethics.
Nevertheless, we are optimistic, as the trend of ethical and sustainable shopping is growing, and we see an increasing number of conscious consumers who value the quality and origin of the products they use.
