Here's the clue to why doing this made sense: "But import duties greatly reduced the profit margins of importers." It's as if the shoes were smuggled into Indi

Here's the clue to why doing this made sense: "But import duties greatly reduced the profit margins of importers." It's as if the shoes were smuggled into India in plain sight. Presumably the cost of buying the 'useless' shoes at auction came to less than the import duty.