Arelith

As the subject title. There's literally no reason to craft Boots or Belt or even a simple Leather Armor, when we can easily buy all that stuff in a merchant's store.

But if the mundane gear was Runic, for example, it would be far more attractive.

That's an interesting suggestion, but then they'd have to be entirely new recipes, with a higher DC. I wouldn't mind some way to create runic items (without properties). But to making them all runic? Rejected.