Is Albania famous for making shoes?

[xoggoth]

He banned beards apparently. That wasn't unusual in the USSR, they had a similar ban in Bulgaria.

Once hitchhiked across Bulgaria and all the other hippies trying to get across the border had to shave their beards off. The border guard took one look at my weedy beard and said that's ok, you can go through. I felt really insulted.

[xoggoth]

Oi. Don't insult my atheist hero Hoxha. Or my religious principle of meaness by knocking cheap. Cheap is holy.

[Mich the Tester]

How interesting.

The M&S ones were marked "Made in Albania".

King Zog would be proud.

Yep, M&S are at least open about plenty cheapness manufacturing policies. However, the words 'Made in Italy' have virtually no legal meaning as long as some part of production happened in Italy, such as sticking the label to the sole of the shoe.

[Mich the Tester]

Just wondered, since I noticed that some rather uncomfortable looking shoes in M&S were made in Albania.

Enver Hoxha would be proud.

Yes, women's shoes. The shoes are made in sweatshop factories, employing people of dubious legal working age, then sent to Italy where they're given a label that says 'Made in Italy' under the name of some fashion designer.

[zeitghost]

Just wondered, since I noticed that some rather uncomfortable looking shoes in M&S were made in Albania.

Enver Hoxha would be proud.