When I was prepping for Y2K,the clerk at Famous footware said 99% of their sneakers came from China. The owner of a little shoestore in town said all his sneakers come from China.

I realize that if Taiwan gets blown off the map, and the West coast of the USA gets nuked, there are worse things to expect than just losing sneakers. But would trade stop completely? How long would it take to gear up factories in other places to produce sneakers? I have 5 kids and think war may be possible before they are grown, so what kind of preps would be adequate for this?

-- carolyn (carolyn@luv.my.hub), March 01, 2000

Answers

Buy American-made shoes. They're better for your feet anyway. I know I can do without all of the chinese-made trash that gets imported.

-- Powder (Powder47keg@aol.com), March 01, 2000.

We have mountains of scrap tires. Very durable, very ugly footwear can be made from these if needed. Avoid the steel-belted variety.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), March 01, 2000.

Ah, yes that would be the Ho Chi Minh sandal, I presume? Had a pair of those just after 1973 courtesy of Nam veteran I knew back then. Wonder if there are any plans for those out on the Web?

-- Ma Kettle (mom@home.com), March 01, 2000.

I hate to tell you this, but China makes a whole lot of other stuff that will also dissapear too. Walk into any store and look at how many made in China labels there are.

-- Bill (billclo@blazenet.net), March 01, 2000.

Don't Buy ANYTHING from China....

I'd really like to see a national boycott China campaign. I've been trying to avoid buying their stuff for several years now; most of it is cheap junk I wouldn't want anyway.

What kind of preps are appro if we go into conflict with China? I doubt they would use nukes but I wouldn't put it past them to unleash biological on us (tougher to track).

-- Don Kulha (dkulha@vom.com), March 01, 2000.

"Subject: If China goes to war, what happens to the sneaker supply?"

It will disappear due to lack of demand; we'll all be wearing locally produced combat boots.

Peace for all,

Don

-- Shimoda (enlighten@me.com), March 01, 2000.

Maybe next time you vote it won't be for people that will sell out the country by letting NAFA & GATT treaties ship the industrial might overseas. Just think about the combat aircraft, missiles and other military comupter chip made in China . OOOPs lmao at going barefoot. China controlling the Panama Canal, Ports in Calif and the worlds largest shipping warehouse off the Fl coast. just my 2 "

-- idgaf1 (awdragon@yahoo.com), March 01, 2000.

Go to Home Depot and look at the country of origin for light fixtures and such. Then go to Wal-mart and look at the origin of work boots.

If we get into a war with Beijing, it will very much totally disrupt our economy, even if we are lucky enough not to get nuked. It will take months, if not years, to restore our manufacturing capacity for all the imported items.

I believe this is a very serious situation. It reminds me very much of Barbara Tuchman's classic book about the origins of WW I, "The Guns of August." This and the Asian concept of "face" strikes me as a very serious situation, in which the players could stumble into a war much like Europe did in 1914. Got fallout meters?

-- Les (holladayl@aol.com), March 01, 2000.

Don Kulha has the answer. If this Admin. is to weak to make a firm stand over this issue, "We the Public" can speak with our pocketbooks. DO NOT BUY CHINA made products. I vote for the boycott campaign.

-- Tommy Rogers (Been there@Just a Thought.com), March 01, 2000.

The "tire sandals" have been around for many years...at least in Mexico... They work and are cheap and durable.

Since we have a net trade deficit, it would do the US good to halt all trade with China...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), March 01, 2000.

Kinda hard not to buy Chinese footware when even the US military has contracts with the ChiComs to produce combat boots. Somehow (and you don't have to look too hard) the Buy American Act was waived by the Klintoon Administration for the US Air Force to purchase it's current run of basic-issue combat boots.

It's not just a crying shame for the US footware industry. It is a criminal act and militarily stupid to make yourself dependent upon a potential adversary.

I knew I was smart to go to the nearest Army base to buy my boots. I always liked their Rockies a lot better than the Air Force issue crap.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), March 01, 2000.

"Don't buy Anything from China." I suggest you start looking at everything around you. Flip that keyboard over and see where it comes from. You will find more products from China than you have imagined. I would say buy American but the truth is we have already lost our manufacturing base. We are in serious trouble people. So called american companies now outsource all manufacturing to the cheapest foreign labor that can be had. Maybe technology can save our ass in the next major war but it sure as hell won't be our Industrial base.

-- American (patriotic@heart.net), March 01, 2000.

NIKE's are made in 'Nam...

-- Vern (bacon17@ibm.net), March 01, 2000.

It's a Chinese conspiracy: Cheap binoculars with bad optics (wont be able to spot their submarines off the golden gate bridge) No more sneakers (cant run from incoming missles) No more burger king promotional toys! (lower morale)

-- INever (inevercheckmy@onebox.com), March 02, 2000.

Tiz simple: we wear no shoes. We do it all the time in the South, due to choice once we hit home. Reminds me of a family story about a man who worried because he had no shoes, until he met a man, who had no feet. Credit due to my Mother's teachings.

-- My Story (andiam@sticking.com), May 10, 2001.