Small creativity, big business opportunities, making big money from corn husks

Small Ideas, Big Business Opportunities: Making Big Money from Corn Husks

Publication Date: January 16, 2012

Interview Record:

Looking back at the history of the Red Army soldiers' Long March, whether climbing snow-capped mountains or crossing grasslands, what accompanied them through countless difficulties and dangers, leading to China's hope and future, were the straw shoes they wore. Straw shoes are a valuable material and spiritual legacy left by our ancestors and revolutionary predecessors.

Author: "The straw shoes worn by the Red Army have become a kind of history, more so a symbol of spirit, while today’s straw shoes represent a fashion."

Author: "Selling shoes! Selling shoes! Selling shoes!"

Since it has become fashionable, whether it becomes popular must be tested by the market. Look, Xiao Zhang is ready to try selling them at 25 yuan per pair, let's see how many pairs she can sell. Finally, she attracted some people, some of whom were quite curious.

Author: "Have you ever seen such shoes before?"

Customer: "No."

Customer: "It's pretty environmentally friendly."

Customer: "Wearing these shoes on the beach would feel quite comfortable."

Author: "What's different compared to previous shoes?"

Customer: "It seems like a return to nature."

After shouting out in the sun for a long time, there was still some harvest. She sold 9 pairs of shoes in two hours, which wasn't bad. But compared to distributors, this was small potatoes.

Mocha Town Straw Shoes Distributor Xu Xin: "Under normal circumstances, one day could sell around two to three hundred pairs. The first market we entered was Guangzhou, where in some malls, the retail price was dozens of yuan, and the wholesale price was about ten yuan."

During the sales process that day, we found that the material and shape of these straw shoes were very attractive, but some customers also raised questions.

Customer: "I think, after all, it's a straw-woven shoe, not as sturdy as leather shoes."

Customer: "I think soaking it in water might not work."

Customer: "Also, especially for northerners who are generally taller and larger, if they put too much weight on it, will it deform?"

Author: "This grass braid is the most basic raw material for making such shoes. Let me test its sturdiness."

Author: "Big sister, do you think the shoes we made are sturdy?"

Farmer Aunt Liu from Xianyang, Shaanxi: "Sturdy."

Author: "How long do you think it can last?"

Aunt Liu: "Won't wear out in a year."

To check if the aunt exaggerated, we need to look at the production process of these straw shoes. The raw material used for these straw shoes is entirely corn husks, which are worth nothing when thrown away and pollute the environment when burned, but in the hands of skillful farmers, they become valuable commodities. Farmers in Xianyang, Shaanxi, who make handcrafted shoes, are all proficient in making these straw shoes, and they trust their skills.

Author: "Shoes made with this grass braid have certain flexibility, but whether they are truly durable under pressure and wear needs to be tested. Now, let's inspect them on-site. Master, get ready, go ahead, slowly, stop. It's already pressed like this. Can it still be worn? Let's try it on. Master, please reverse the car. Still wearable, no problem, hopping around."

Author: "Look, it's still the same pair of shoes crushed by the car. After being soaked in river water, there aren't many changes, no discoloration."

Through pulling, pressing, and soaking, this straw shoe has truly undergone another trial akin to a Long March.

Speaking of this, let's introduce the designer of the straw shoes, Zheng Ke, a farmer from Xianyang, Shaanxi. During one harvest of corn, he suddenly had an idea.

Designer Zheng Ke from a straw shoe manufacturer in Xianyang, Shaanxi: "At the time, I saw a large amount of corn husks being discarded or burned, and I thought it was a waste. I wondered if corn husks could be used to make straw shoes."

In Shaanxi, every year, a large number of corn husks are discarded. They began to utilize the local abundant resources to create new value.

Responsible person Ma Mingyuan from a straw shoe manufacturer in Xianyang, Shaanxi: "Corn husks are worth nothing, but after creative processing by people, they can turn straw into gold, turning waste into treasure."

Initially, the straw shoes did not have a rubber sole, and they would break quickly when worn indoors. Later, after designing the sole, they could be worn outdoors and became both waterproof and wear-resistant. This small improvement doubled the price of the straw shoes and expanded the market significantly. With hundreds of thousands of pairs produced each year, it required over a hundred tons of corn husks. When they were ramping up production, feedback from the market indicated that the uppers of the straw shoes were not comfortable enough. Originally, the uppers were mostly made from stalks and wheat straws, which would rub against the feet after prolonged wear. How could this issue be resolved?

Chinese knots, auspicious knots, cross knots, six-heart knots, these are the specialties of skillful farmers and also the ethnic features favored by foreign consumers. Locals use self-spun cotton thread to make the uppers, cleverly combining the grass weaving technique with Chinese knot artistry, enabling the small straw shoes to enter the international market at a price of 10 dollars per pair.

With the addition of a Chinese knot upper, they liked it even more, resulting in many additional orders and exports to many countries. The processing materials for the straw shoes were originally the unremarkable corn husks, and the method of making straw shoes was a familiar manual weaving technique, but precisely because of the clever use of resources and innovative design, straw shoes became fashionable. From worthless corn husks to straw shoes priced at dozens or even hundreds of yuan per pair, this increase in value also reminds us that as long as we pay attention, business opportunities are everywhere.

Editor: Thank you to the author, Xu Jun.