Srinagar, Aug. 12 -- By Mohammad Ilyas Bhat

Decades ago I bought a pair of shoes from a well known brand. A decorative sticker was missing from the left shoe, so the shop noted my complaint and promised a free replacement within a year if any fault showed up.

None did.

I played cricket in those shoes, lent them to friends, wore them on rough ground, and they held together long after I expected them to give out.

Eventually I stopped waiting for the fault that never came and simply kept the shoes.

That pair taught me something about how goods once got made, and how differently they get made now.

The same brand still sells shoes today under the same name, but the product underneath has changed.

Soles thin out within months. Stitching ...