Dragons Dismayed by Cobbler's Outsourced Production Ploy | Dragons' Den

[@richardile3408]

5:14 My man Tej waited his whole life for this moment. What a Legend

[@champchampchannel8182]

Word

[@Jamie_Winsh]

He can sing and play the guitar as well

[@gardensoflondonmwgs7836]

Something in his vitamins.

[@dizzyb111]

He's also the nicest Dragon of them all. But then again, I may be biased.

[@Jamie_Winsh]

@@dizzyb111 at that time with those dragons your probably correct

[@Billy_B]

If they were made in uk the Toucan would have said “they’re too expensive, you need to make them abroad”

[@Neil2022]

I didn’t see a bird in the den?

[@RockyDave]

That's quite insightful.

[@Mand3012]

@@Neil2022 bro im dead 😂😂

[@andipandi5641]

not if they could be made at the same price - which is not cheap..

[@08aoc]

China!

[@AntiMatter930]

The dragons scored with their free pairs of expensive shoes 🤣

[@pimpozza]

👍🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@livedashnetwork5053]

Each has a cost of production £30 avg. and the entrepreneur is receiving expensive marketing for his products.

[@richardking2286]

Doubt it

[@orionxtc1119]

Jenny is kicking herself she didn't stay on the show...

[@ronniehernandez1617]

Custom/ hand-made for each dragon. He should of done the fun shoe shine with them and maybe all would of offered.

[@Uvray]

The shoes look lovely and to be great quality. I don't know what the dragons' problem with them being made in Portugal is. Most of the businesses they own churn out their goods in Chinese sweat houses. Whilst Portugal has a fine and rich history of saddlery and shoe making.

[@00Kuja00]

It's about the brand history/identity, not actual history.

[@MsNoPixel]

The dragons themselves even said they were super nice quality.

[@00Kuja00]

@@MsNoPixel It's about the brand.

[@dsmsl9734]

"anxiety and over thinking" are crippling issues. good for him for battling it this way

[@jackm5564]

Ahh how nice, really thoughtful comment David.

[@arnold8746]

Bullshit, he is full of anxiety and over thinking, because he is a complete fake. He made an image and he knows full well he cant back it up, I am sure that would bring on a bit of anxiety. Maybe if he actually learned the craft that he portrays himself to be a master of, he would have a little confidence. When you are a fake, ofcourse you're going to feel anxious, you never know when you will be called out.

[@aljabirxiju9475]

or was he using this for sympathy. if he made it this far how crippling was it?

[@TaelurAlexis]

@@arnold8746 good thing you’re not a psychologist because you’re completely off

[@footballoldboy4818]

Bespoke? Asks for foot dimensions via email, sends them to Portugal and waits to receive them.

[@Rob.P974]

All Rockport were made in Portugal, not sure if they still are. Best shoes I’ve ever owned have been made in Portugal 🇵🇹

[@pokehoarder2733]

I'm Portuguese and used to love Rockport boots when I was younger. But I had no clue they were fabricated in Portugal, thanks for the info. 🙂

[@colibrireader]

It was so hard for me to buy a pair of shoes that were made in the UK. I ended up buying a pair from Ted Baker, only to find out later on that they were made in Portugal 🇵🇹. (Very well made, I might add).

[@boorhaave5880]

I like Rockports too. They didn't cost £300 - 400 per pair though

[@Nocturnalux]

Portugal does indeed produced some of the best shoes on Earth, I'm surprised Touker didn't seem to know that.

[@MrRussLock]

I have a pair, visited him, had a great experience and love my boots. I wear them only on special occasions and almost always get comments on how nice they are and the leather and structure of the footwear is great, so i have no problem with where they are made.

[@janeclarkson8471]

Glad it's not China!

[@philipbrit13]

Land Rover defender. Built in Czech Republic. Waterford crystal factory in Poland. For those reasons “I’m Out”

[@Tyrewhisperer]

Exactly and who owns Land Rover 😂

[@doctorpanigrahi9975]

The union killed the motor industry. Bunch of lazy two-ats

[@doctorpanigrahi9975]

@Paul Blackman Actually it's a complex subject. I'd suggest you to watch this documentary . kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGrdpYiiq8psoMU

[@ibrahimrwaished1113]

I did a bit of a google search and it seems like he's still in business, good for him seems like a genuine bloke, so what if they're made in Portugal? Seriously, dragons be petty af, big up Tej for cutting him some slack for that at least.

[@calibcrockett]

Because the whole image and experience he is selling is of a UK cobbler and it turns out he's just a middle man thats buying cheap shoes from Portugal and selling them at a 200% markup.

[@MADMAX7330]

£450 for selling sub contracted out shoes by a hipster valuing friendship and love in the transaction? ... Yeah, me neither..

[@wanderingalba5077]

It's ALL about him. 🙄🙄

[@nmarques7885]

Sorry to rain on your parade. Dr. Martens. Bye!

[@ZMBARC]

"All right,no problem.Let me take the shoes back...The box as well Peter"

[@green_firefly]

It's not really unique though, is it. There are tons of shoemakers out there making shoes for individuals that don't want to buy in stores. I see why this is not an investment.

[@Blind-Boy-Grunt]

It's a unique investment because the guy has a snazzy moustache

[@green_firefly]

@@Blind-Boy-Grunt Lol. I can't see that in real life though with most of the business done online. And, if all hinges on the moustache, then it must be enjoyed in real life. ;)

[@monicaclasener]

He's a good salesman and offers a good product. The dragons were dissapointed for the wrong reasons.

[@jakeevans9746]

It’s not about that. It’s about him just being a seller. They wanna invest in the creator. If you watch the show they care about patents coz that’s wheee the money lies. Sellers or resellers don’t own the products.

[@green_firefly]

@@jakeevans9746 I know, that's another aspect of the entire proposal. But, it's also very easy to replicate. That's what they also look at. My comment was more about that point.

[@daveymorgan909]

Feel sorry for him. Sad he couldn't find anyone to make them in the UK.

[@babatunde5644]

'Has touker had a change in heart?' He was the one who ripped him a new one😂

[@hamill06]

Lovely guy. Really hope he goes on to grow bigger and bigger and leave the dragons feeling like they missed a great opportunity. Fair play Mark, your business looks top notch and I love the whole authentic, bespoke style you have went for. Wouldnt bother me at all that you had them made in Portugal. If the shoes are as quality as you have guaranteed, then what is the issue with outsourcing to Portugal? I ran a very successful bespoke packaging business and we outsourced about 70% of our work to Portugal, Spain and even South Africa at one point. Best of luck Mark.

[@michaelc8192]

These dragons acting like they’ve never outsourced in their life, which is absolute rubbish

[@ifwecouldvote]

Touka loves a good sweat shop. Lets not be naive here people!

[@andipandi5641]

it is not about outsourcing - but how that in this instance conflicts with the alluded to USP of the product..

[@jakeevans9746]

It’s not about that. It’s about him just being a seller. They wanna invest in the creator. If you watch the show they care about patents coz that’s wheee the money lies. Sellers or resellers don’t own the products.

[@Karajorma]

The issue is not the outsourcing. The difference is about how you sell that. The issue is that you are getting people to pay a lot of money for shoes because of the way the guy looks and sounds. Cause the image he projects is that it is his company that makes the shoes. And then you find out they make them in Portugal and that doesn't fit with the image. If he'd sold the shoes with the image that he travelled round the world looking for other cobblers and was bringing their products to the UK, it might have worked.

[@harrymonk8948]

He isn’t outsourcing..he doesn’t design the shoes,he isn’t a cobbler..he just goes to portugal,picks out some shoes,imports to the uk and sticks his branding on it..anyone can do what he does

[@Darkray800]

>starts moonwalking in the middle of your business pitch >refuses to elaborate

[@MichaelJayification]

The owner of that shoe company already posted it on his own company's KZbin channel about a month ago. His fault was that he didn't mention that shoes coming from Portugal are top notch, and their mass production price point are lower, and a "steal," compared to developing all in Italy, and France. Italy and France, the UK and the US, will rob people of their entire company, financially, just with the physical prototypes alone! That means that he has to make sure that everything is essentially spot on, and essentially come up with his company, to differ himself from the competition, based on what default designs, and shoe shapes already made.

[@ImARealHumanPerson]

Still getting a quality product that they all loved. Who cares who makes it?

[@jancollins319]

He’ll be back next week with some craft IPA.

[@SlinkiestTortoise23]

Individual Portuguese Insoles?

[@pauldenino6350]

best comment in here

[@ernestocaro9802]

Hahahahaha

[@pedrosantos6251]

Sometimes, these Dragons can be really dumb and delusional. They talk about made in Portugal as if it was made in China. Best price-quality rapport in world shoemaking is in Portugal. Period.

[@andipandi5641]

they are not at all knocking Portugal.. but the incongruous nature of how the man's presentation fundamentally differs from the reality of the product itself..

[@tinderella2386]

No, but sometimes you can be dumb and delusional. And given your name I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you have an agenda on this. He is selling a whole experience of British made shoes and oh come into my shop, it’s an experience and this and that All he does is take your measurements and send them off to Portugal. He’s charging British made prices for Portuguese made crap

[@nnp9891]

@@tinderella2386 Portugal has one of the best shoe manufacturing industries in the world, years of expertise on the subject. just because is cheaper than the UK does not mean is crap

[@jakeevans9746]

It’s not about that. It’s about him just being a seller. They wanna invest in the creator. If you watch the show they care about patents coz that’s wheee the money lies. Sellers or resellers don’t own the products.

[@tinderella2386]

@nn p Honestly I know very little about Portugal. I’m aussie I’m not even British, but you have to understand that British made, along with French and Italian really has a degree of prestige and quality about it, and justifies a big price tag. It’s not to say it’s inherently better then Portuguese made, But, when you’re trying to sell at the price point he is as well as market it as a British made shoe that’s when you have to call him out on it

[@Casey-Jones]

you can't beat a good quality pair of leather shoes

[@Posh_Boy]

I get all my top quality leather shoes hand made in Spain Spain / Portugal - same thing

[@IRCW]

You can it’s called pleather. Stop funding the killing of sentimental cows just to wear on your feet.

[@1.618-o2y]

@@IRCW the snowflake invasion is comming!

[@tinderella2386]

@1. 618 Lookout, the apathetic moron left an edgy comment. I dare you to watch ‘earthlings’ free on KZbin. Once you seen a dying but not dead cow started to be dismembered and skinned by workers in India because they’re under such pressure and time constraints, leather rather loses its lustre. To put it lightly. But you’re so much of a coward I doubt you’d even be able to watch it and see it for your own eyes.

[@tinderella2386]

You also can’t beat the environmental harm and pollutants and chemicals that leather tanning uses. Not to mention using the skin of a dead animal is kind of morbid. I mean why not do it with people Ed Gein. Life is life and death is death.

[@MrPhilipn]

I would of loved to see the Dragons reaction if he said they're made in a sweat shop in China.

[@RiotontheRadioMSCR]

Based on the fact that Tej CAN moonwalk. I'll make an offer. This offer was lives or dies on the performance of Tej's moonwalking abilities.

[@igorrodrigues7382]

I’m from Portugal and our shoes are high quality.

[@minners71]

"Is there anything this guy can't do?" Moonwalk by the look if it.

[@richierich4810]

I thought he was gonna cry at the end, he would have needed Tis Shoe 💪

[@adrianjohnlouis1]

Bles shoe!

[@friendlypiranha774]

You pulled a C-lever move there.

[@JP-ci4sh]

I bet Jenny Cambell would be devastated to miss out on that expensive free sample😂

[@michaelmulvania6060]

He just seems like a turn of the century Cosplayer hipster. Nothing authentic here.

[@rumourhats]

Nothing screams authenticity more than having several tattoos, and an ironic old-timey moustache.

[@yaffajaff]

Maybe so... I still like the shoes though. Even more if they were made local 👍

[@taranullius9221]

I'd be fine with the experience if it were more hipstery...if he made them himself. The artisanal experience is what I'd want and I'd want to see it if I'm paying a premium. If I wanted nice shoes I'd get them from Portugal.

[@gardensoflondonmwgs7836]

2.49 Deborah’s reaction when Peter drops his trousers 😅

[@colibrireader]

With most products around the world being made in China, perhaps the only viable edge for anything bespoke is to not have products made by a third party. This is the first time Tuka makes so much sense.

[@damnthisusername]

I bet Jenny would loved to have gone out with a new pair of bespoke shoes! 😆

[@michaelmattingley5117]

I'm jenny I'm out

[@jreverie7018]

I’d prefer shoes from Portugal than England personally

[@strokenumber3]

The women too....

[@disiamtheillusion]

Handlebar mustache is always the first sign of crazy

[@gideonMorrison]

This. Borderliner probably

[@tinderella2386]

Perhaps you should Learn what an Actual handle bar moustache is before making yourself look completely idiotic and calling someone else crazy. That is Not a handle bar

[@elobiretv]

trying to look unique while also looking like every other hipster

[@goldenmagnolia333]

What a nice guy!! Great attitude!

[@chooseachannelname2840]

i just hit my thumb with a hammer and for that reason i'm ouch!

[@KJ-rk1nh]

Tej Moonwalking is epic

[@lasura]

I can't believe this guy went through all this effort and didn't bother learning to make his own shoes! Even if you're not going to be making them, you should know every step of the process intricately enough to make your own for anyone to be convinced that you can offer your services even as just a designer/advisor. You don't have to do it well, you just have to be in the know.

[@kimdaisies2660]

I really thought at first that he was a cobbler 🤷🏽‍♀️. Great shoes though 👌🏽

[@GodotOfficial]

Dragons: Products made abroad are worse than products made in the UK Also Dragons: *owns businesses that either sell goods made abroad or sell services outsourced abroad*

[@LV2UXO77]

The shoes look like they're made with excellent quality, but it's a nice little side business for him, and sadly, it's not an investable business for any of the Dragons.

[@DrT0705]

If they weren't going to invest, they should have at least offered to pay for the shoes. Between them they got a few grands worth of quality products.

[@Nocturnalux]

"You can't beat British craftmanship", Portugal has some of the world's best shoe craftsmanship.

[@josephmcdonnell8987]

I cringed so much when Tej did the moon walk,so much so my ballbag when up inside my belly and has never came down. As for the guy pitching for investment,if he had just curled his handle bar moustache more at the two ends,he would have gotten the investment.

[@harrymanocha4533]

Peter complaining about the online experience not being as authentic or friendly in 2019... the online probably kept him afloat for the last 2 years

[@clev7989]

While it is true that probably kept him afloat, it still doesn't mean that he's wrong, or even a hypocrite. He didn't say it was unsuccessful, just that it didn't fit the home grown idea the company was going for.

[@HamzaMalik-ur1tp]

Hi, My name is steve jobs and we make our iPhones in China Dragons: I'm Out

[@uer-2updates.352]

Amazing shoes, I would have bought a pair right away.

[@free_gold4467]

'love, friendship and loyalty' omigoodness.

[@Adrmeisterwerk]

one of the few moments where dragons feel a bit sad to not be able to invest..

[@JoeAyres]

Peter's socks look like a Twister lolly!

[@rinainlondon8]

The shoes are lovely

[@BeastTheMadness]

Really do enjoy our niche community of lunch eaters. Have a nice one guys 🌞

[@RetroBoy94]

this guy legitimately has a tattoo of Simon Cowell on his arm 🤣

[@fly9wheel]

Don't you mean Elvis Presley ?

[@davidadams421]

I'll bet you could put any price tag on a bespoke quality pair of shoes, I mean they last for years, and rich people be rich. I'm convinced he could get a UK-based manufacturing shop set up, sell the experience from 5 or 6 locations throughout the country, manufacture from two 'flagship' outlets. 'Get the London look' marketing to the USA, Russia, UAE etc. Maybe offer a budget range manufactured abroad. It's a shame none of the dragons could see the potential. Wish I had £70K to invest!!

[@bigdyl1875]

Maybe that’s why you don’t have 70k to invest mate

[@davidadams421]

@@bigdyl1875 Because you believe the ideas mentioned are flawed inferring flawed business acumen? I mean, you're probably right ... I've only ever worked for other people until recently.

[@bigdyl1875]

@@davidadams421 yes I don’t think you would get your 70k back from this investment and would be far better options out there

[@TheRacerRich]

You could charge $700 I think, but after $1k there are true bespoke options.

[@liddybug8311]

I would have loved to have seen one of the dragons say they're out based on the walrus mustache alone

[@alexc5564]

Why them cracked pots are so down in Portugal 😮

[@TheUrszulat]

Lovely man. I hope he does well.

[@reginalram9050]

Portugal has better shoemaking quality than the UK

[@frederickbowdler8169]

I've created you all a bespoke pair of shoes by hand.......... by someone else in Portugal

[@trishstevenson3022]

Love all you dragons.. You all unigue and know your stuff

[@perliva]

“Two Ka Sullivan”. That’s a new one.

[@4farhan4]

If the product is good, does the customer really care whether it is made in Portugal or U. K.? I think yes he does. Most customers value the tag more than the actual product!

[@calibcrockett]

100%. Same thing with guitars. Epiphones made in China are 95% as good as a US made Gibson but people will always buy Gibsons at 5x the price. He definitely messed up pretending to be super authentic and acting like a cobbler and then revealing he doesn't know the first thing about making shoes and has them made abroad. I'm an American and would love some hand crafted UK shoes, not mass produced from Portugal.

[@4farhan4]

@@calibcrockett Well I think he knows how to make shoes but he doesn't understand marketing. Yes I think it's true for shoes or guitars or anything else. Most customers just assume that a bigger brand means a higher quality product. They don't know they can get a similar quality product, or sometimes even a better quality product, from a smaller brand at a quarter of that price. My jeans and T-shirts from smaller brands have outlasted those from Levi's!

[@lord_scrubington]

As we all know there are no bepoke cobblers in Portugal

[@gordonhamilton727]

Anyone noticing someone wearing a pair of these quality shoes wouldn't care where they were made, if they wanted to look good they'd just know they would want them.

[@ronmaren4135]

So did they give the shoes back?

[@BenTeutho]

Wait did I miss something? How did he know their show size?!

[@BrownBrown270]

Online or the fact that it is scripted.

[@fly9wheel]

Like most TV programmes, there are lots of preparation before recording.

[@MochudiSwaagVEVO]

Tej what was that😂😂

[@rebelrob9637]

9:33pm here in Sydney, Australia. Are all of you poms enjoying your lunch?

[@RockyDave]

G'day mate.

[@davidadams421]

Are you still up?

[@Noelhall88]

Those are nice shoes though! I feel like he will be fine

[@TheSavageChimiChanga]

Oh my God, it’s Simon Bourne.

[@carlo9524]

You expect the guy to be making each pair? The quality and uniqueness are more important.

[@CodingExpress]

Is there anything this man can't do!

[@TheRacerRich]

These guys are just the wrong investors. All men who are into shoes know Portuguese shoemaking and are happy for it. Even John Lobb Paris outsources some to Romanian, this is not unusual in the trade.

[@juffjaff]

Cobblers? No, it's all true.

[@JamilKhan-hk1wl]

More like a salesman

[@garycaw7101]

He just nods his head 😂

[@S7EVE_P]

Most of the Dragons outsource.....this guy does it and suddenly its an authenticity issue. Hypocritical stance imo

[@arnold8746]

It's like a goofy cobbler version of donut operator

[@yaboiavery5986]

Damn dude really got to the tipity top and fell all the way down

[@pamelamckenzie2685]

You will do well.

[@jwm655]

So…are they going to give the free shoes back?

[@MarceloVolcato]

The cobblers in Portugal are some of the best in the World. The dragons didn't know that...

[@rangers2721]

Skip to 2:50 to see Deborah and Sara's reaction to Peter dropping his pants

[@jpfox4329]

I don't think his mustash was curled up enough at the ends,if it had been,he would have got the investment

[@pepethunder]

Dragons den is less a show about investors and more about investigation.

[@Philippe_Gruijthuijzen]

When investors investigate a potential investment, it is called due diligence.

[@VinceW187]

Does a nervous pitch impact your chances of investment?

[@tvted6160]

I didn’t realize made in Portugal shoes was such a bad thing. Ridiculous.

[@agr7879]

Bet they didn’t pay him a single penny for them either!

[@Sir_Henry_Bossocks]

first - get in - mugs

[@Bookish_Lattes]

You weren't though....

[@Sir_Henry_Bossocks]

@@Bookish_Lattes yes I was

[@Jessebella1]

I like the idea, id happily pay 3.50 to 4 pounds for those shoes!!!

[@catatonicable]

Modern Brogues...Lovely...

[@wendaleesmith3810]

he claims to be a designer in a bespoke business, has pictures on display of himself in a workshop holding the shoes when he don't make them, I wish he made them that would be perfect and the story he's selling would be true,

[@Becca_2828]

It's lunchtime, therefore I'm out.

[@alessandrosalzano8722]

Does Deborah ever stop to move her fingers? Ahahahah

[@HugoH16]

None of them could identify the shoes as not made in the UK when they got them. Nevertheless, I understand their point.

[@nathanpowell7565]

Think the investors will find any reason to not deal! I’m sure they enjoying roasting people

[@PhilosophyofElivagar]

Why would they have invested? His entire business was a facade. It's the equivolent of Topshop trying to have an authentic and local brand while importing manufactured products from elsewhere, albiet tailored to specifications

[@enchanted_blue9807]

Company went into liquidation in April 2022, such a shame

[@theovolz3073]

Well that’s kind of awkward. Thanks for the lovely shoes, but no - we’re not going to invest in you.

[@jamnoise72]

Did Tej just moonwalk? hahah

[@inshort6831]

Eggs and toast for lunch

[@Skip_Stakey]

yum

[@GreenockHS2011]

Pie with noodles ontop for me

[@dubjohnston]

They were a bit rough on the guy. Cobblers are a dying breed in 1st world high labour cost countries. The cobblers in Portugal could have been whipping up leather shoes for generations and quality is really what people want

[@tinderella2386]

That’s garbage. That’s like saying only Taylors exist in third world countries due to cost, yet UK made suits go for an insane amount of money. Not to mention anything UK, Italian made, or French made. So hardly what I’d say short of labour.

[@dubjohnston]

@@tinderella2386 I used to see cobblers in many Aussie suburbs 30 years ago. Now the only ones I can get a sole changed is where the guy should have retired 15 years ago. Pretty sure cobbler apprenticeships aren't in high demand by a 16 year old who can earn +$130k holding a stop sign at a construction site. I get my jeans tailor made in Australia but the reality is out the back where the machines are pumping away they are all immigrants. I'm not saying they don't exist but good luck scaling up in UK without tapping in hard to immigrants.