In 2015, over 23 billion shoes were manufactured worldwide. This comes to more than three pairs per person. If you live in Switzerland, and are an average consumer, you probably bought six or seven pairs in the last twelve months.

The time when shoemakers carried out the delicate work of repairing our good Sunday shoes has long since passed. Eighty years ago, Swiss households spent an average of 37 francs a year on their shoerepairs. This sum accounts for a mere 17 francs today, at a time when the average household income has increased twenty-fold. This industry has also now adopted the model of fast fashion. The rate at which collections appear no longer follows that of the seasons, and shoes that are sold at cut-price rates are no longer made to last. Shoe repairs and cobblers are out of fashion, and people simply prefer to throw a worn-out pair away, and buy a new one.

They are not informed when we throw the fruit of their labour into the bin, sometimes without even having worn the shoes they made. We know nothing about those who made our shoes, are unaware of the amount of work it involves, or the number of different people involved, where they are based, or their working conditions. We set out to find the answers to all of these questions.

Statistics show that China leads the global shoe manufacturing industry, accounting for 60% of the worldwide production. They are followed by India at barely 10%. And we are sure that you are already aware that the big name brands buy their stocks at the lowest prices from Asian countries where the wages are very low and working conditions often unacceptable. This is why we decided to examine the production conditions for relatively high-end leather shoes, be they labelled «Made in Italy» or «Made in Germany».

Things generally start with a cow. Most leathershoes are made of cow or calf-hide. The United States, China and Brazil are the countries that produce most leather. The industry is happy to present the tanning industry as a way of «valorising» the by-product of the meat industry, notorious for its consumption of resources. This is a lopsided argument, as the two sectors are one and the same.

So the leather has been tanned and is sent on to small family-owned companies in Sana Croce sull’Arno, where it is died and rolled up. It is time to start making the shoes. You might think that this stage takes place in Italy for shoes labelled «Made in Italy», or in Germany for those with a «Made in Germany» tag. But this is often not the case.

This is the result of a production model known as outward processing trade, that allows companies to export semi-finished products such as shoes, that are then made in another country and reimported once they have been finished, without paying import duties on them. Thus it is Poles, Slovakians, Rumanians, Macedonians or Bosnians – and essentially women who work in these factories – who make millions of pairs of «German» or «Italian» shoes every year.

An international public enquiry carried out by Public Eye highlighted that they fail to earn enough for their families to lead dignified lives. The least paid are the Albanians, who work mainly for Italian brands.

From afar, Arjana points to the factory where she works. She doesn’t want to be seen in our company, for fear of losing her job. Most of the factories look like prisons, surrounded by high walls and protected by guards. The names of their clients are generally a close-kept secret, as is the list of their employees, because informal labour is so widespread. Buses bring the workers to the factory every morning, and transport them back home after work. We do not gain entry to the factory where Arjana works.

But we do manage to slip into another factory, in the port city of Durrës. It is cold. The noise level is deafening. The smell of glue hangs heavily on the air. On this particular Friday in January, there are around 200 people – mainly women – working in the factory, and they are all wearing thick coats.

Like the young man who talks to us, at the same time as he absent-mindedly feeds leather into a battered, outmoded machine. It is a vision that gives you the creeps. Further along, three women are spreading glue on leather for the shoes. The fumes seem unbearable to us. But they are not wearing masks.

At the very back of the factory, enormous machines are worked by men. The workers place metal shapes on the leather or plastic and then use a huge «press». The operation is repeated until only shreds remain. In another part of the factory, there are women seated facing a conveyor belt, working on a production line. They make the same gestures, repeated non-stop throughout the day, surrounded by the noise of the machines, and never exchange a single word. In an adjacent room, two men are working at a table where a candle burns. The first cuts 3-centimeter strips from a roll of plastic. His colleague burns both ends, using the candle, and then presses them together for a few seconds so that they stick together. These are the eyelets through which the laces are then threaded.

The workers, both men and women in these factories, have absolutely no idea where the shoes they make will be sent. And we know nothing about those who have made the shoes we wear. The shoe manufacturing industry is a shady, globalised sector that makes money for shareholders of the big brand names. The workers pay for this with their health, in exchange for a pittance, so that consumers can make the most of the «special offers» that they buy, often without wondering who is bearing the true cost of their production.

For Public Eye, this situation needs to change. But how?

• Pay a minimum living wage that will allow employees in factories and their families to live dignified lives

• Protect health and ensure the safety of all personnel

• Implement transparency, stating the names of the suppliers and sub-contractors, and showing the steps taken to guarantee fair working conditions

• Ensure minimum wage levels are set to meet basic needs

• Enact and implement labour law and human rights

• Oblige companies to examine risks and implement accountability and transparency as well as take effective measures to protect human rights

We can take good care of our shoes, get them repaired, buy second-hand shoes or buy them from responsible suppliers as far as possible. Our consumer choices mean that we can refuse to give in to the dictatorship of brands and fashion. But this is not enough.

Public Eye has created a tool that demonstrates how important ethics are in making shoes. And you can join our awareness-raising campaign: Create and win the ethical shoes of your dreams at www.theshoecreator.ch. Invite all the shoefans you know to use Shoe Creator to raise their awareness about production conditions.

Through research, advocacy and campaigning, Public Eye demands the respect of human rights throughout the world. With a strong support of some 25,000 members, Public Eye focuses on global justice. Support our work: donate now!