Most shoes and leather goods sold in rich countries come from factories in developing and newly industrialising countries, where production costs are low. At first sight, this arrangement serves all parties involved: consumers in the wealthy nations get cheap products, and jobs are created in poor countries. However, there is a risk of race to the bottom. As costs are kept low to withstand the pressure of global competition, ecological and social standards are all too often neglected. For India, integration into the global market is a doubled-edged sword.