Military Tennis Shoes - In this Dec. 17, 2018 photo, Ruby Williams inspects a pair of athletic shoes made for soldiers at the New Balance factory in Norridgewock, Maine. The new contract fulfills a federal law that requires the military to dress new recruits in American uniforms. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine - Thanks to a federal intervention, military recruits will be able to put Made-in-the-USA products right into their sneakers.
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New Balance in New England, along with two companies located in Texas and Missouri, produces Made-in-the-USA running shoes for military recruits - supporting domestic manufacturing during the purchase, nearly all shoes purchased in the United States are made overseas.
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The contract represents only a portion of the 3 million New Balance sneakers produced each year in the United States - and more around the world.
But it's a big victory for the factory workers in the quiet town of 3,500 people affected by the Kennebec River, who say they are willing to help the Army.
"We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into making this shoe because we knew it would work," said Brandon Munroe, one of the 348 workers who make military shoes at the New Balance factory in Norridgewock, Maine. "
In this Dec. 17, 2018 photo, a pair of athletic shoes designed for the military are seen at the New Balance factory in Norridgewock, Maine. The first shipment of athletic shoes made for the US Department of Defense has been shipped. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
U.s. Made Sneakers Become Standard Issue For The Military
Members of congressional committees in Maine and Massachusetts have pushed for years to bring athletic shoes into compliance with the Berry Amendment, which requires the Defense Department to give preference to domestically grown products for military contracts. Most military equipment, including helmets, boots and fatigues, has been subject to changes over the years.
Some in Congress, worried about limiting options for workers, did not see the need to affect the status of the old policy of issuing certificates and allowing them to buy the sneakers of their choice.
But the changes were adopted in 2017. And last spring, a $17.3 million contract was awarded to New Balance. Production of the first batch of 92,000 sneakers is underway at the largest of our New Balance manufacturing facilities in Maine. The order can be expanded to 248,000.
Hundreds of soldiers to test the new Army competition boot, the first major change in almost a decade. The test can provide a better fit, a better boot that can withstand the stress of combat.
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The other two companies are doing sports training for the first time. Missouri-based defense contractor Propper International has a contract for about 348,000 units, which were built in Puerto Rico. San Antonio Shoes won a contract for about 398,000 units to be made in Texas.
So far, U.S. shoe production is "just a tiny, tiny drop in the bucket of what's needed to meet demand," said Matt Priest, CEO of Shoe Distributors and Retailers of America. But every little bit helps for a home business that's only a shadow of what it once was.
Nationwide, shoe production has declined over the past five years, according to the US Department of Labor. The industry experienced a complete recovery in the 1960s, when 98 percent of the shoes were manufactured in the United States. Currently, approximately 98 percent of the shoes are imported from other countries.
In Maine, brands like G.H. Bass, Cole Haan, Dexter and Sebago closed factories and moved overseas to save money, leaving skilled workers unemployed and communities devastated.
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But some American manufacturers are looking for ways to continue manufacturing in the United States. Keen, Red Wing, Munro, Allen Edmonds, Danner, Eastland and LL Bean also make some or all of their shoes in America.
Boston-based New Balance owner Jim Davis has made in-house production a top priority - and it's become a selling point for many customers. The company remains competitive with American manufacturing thanks to the efficiencies that contribute to higher labor costs in America.
"They've proven there's no challenge American workers can't face, and they've kept the 'Made in America' brand alive and well," the Republican senator said. Susan Collins, one of the members of Congress who pushed for the Berry Amendment to be implemented. Sports coaches.
Raye Wentworth, New Balance's plant manager in Norridgewock, said he was glad New Balance and LL Bean, which makes 700,000 pairs of shoes in Maine, have created some expectations and can be an inspiration to other companies.
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"It's like he's back," he said. "I think it's companies like New Balance that prove you can do it."
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Can Guardsmen Get Free TRICARE? This state will be the first state to use about $5 million a year to pay for reimbursement under the plan. New Air Force recruits try on shoes from San Antonio Shoemakers, Propper Footwear and New Balance. The Ministry of Defense has released the shoes since January.
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New employees at Lackland Air Force Base move into a room full of shoes. They are in the middle of one of their first sentences in the text: problem problem. The instructors take them to different clothing areas to fit each type of gear. Some job seekers seem angry. They wear camouflage with the name tags still on.
Air Force Shoe Issue Assistant Vernalynne Carter welcomed the group into a room full of high heels and began calling out for different pairs on the shelves. In a frenzy, recruiters pull tissue from the box to reveal black trainers.
Until recently, when the military issued uniforms to new recruits, that process did not include sneakers. Instead, job seekers buy their own free clothes – allowing them to choose the type they like. But a new law changes that.
The sneakers became standard issue for the first time in January after the 2017 defense order required the military to provide free American athletic shoes. It's a controversial change that pits the Pentagon against supporters of the Buy-American movement.
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Three American companies, including New Balance, Propper Footwear and San Antonio Shoemakers, won contracts totaling nearly $80 million.
Under the 1941 law, most military equipment must be manufactured in the United States, including clothing and textiles. The idea is to create American jobs and protect the supply chain in times of crisis.
"Obviously they don't want the product out," he said. "They don't want people in the U.S. military to wear something made in China or Malaysia or wherever."
But for decades, sneakers have been exempt from that rule. Instead, job seekers were given up to $90 to buy their own shoes. The Pentagon argued that the American boots were too expensive, too limited and not strong enough to meet the military's needs.
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About 98 percent of the shoes are imported from other countries where labor and production costs are lower. According to Greg Dutter of the trade magazine Footwear Plus, the military has delayed the purchase of American sneakers and claims there are none.
"I think the delay has to do with the fact that no one is doing it — in terms of work shoes. No one is doing it in volume that can meet the demand."
Some of the loudest voices came from New England, home of New Balance, one of America's biggest shoe makers — which said it could make enough sneakers for the military. Then there's Martha McSally of Arizona — a veteran and longtime runner — who argued on the House floor that the Pentagon's buy-it-yourself approach provided too many options.
"Now our recruits are hurt," he said, "because they're told to go to BX and buy some shoes. Most of the time they have no idea: Am I a pronator? A supinator? Do I have a high? Arch? A medium arch? They buy shoes based on price...or buy based on what they think is good."
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But there are others who defended the choice of sneakers during the 2016 debate, including former reservist Mark Sanford, then a South Carolina congressman.
"The military allows allowances for certain occasions because they recognize the need for personal choice. For example, women's underwear. People are allowed to make personal choices. When choosing the underwear that works for them. And yet there is nothing more personal . for new employees than their shoes."
With increasing pressure, the Made-in-America program has found its way into the defense budget and is a benefit not only to New Balance, but to other small businesses and .
Texas-based San Antonio Shoemakers won the largest of the three military sneaker contracts worth $34 million, delivering 206,
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