Plenty of luxury sneaker brands still pride themselves on being made in Italy but this is not the only country of origin for good quality kicks. These days China has matched the Italians when it comes to sneaker construction technology – according to Sneakerboy founder Chris Kyvetos, it’s a defining reason why Balenciaga moved their operations from Italy to China for their popular Triple S line.
“Even with this move to China, Balenciaga’s aren’t being made in a sneaker factory – they’re still making them in a women’s shoemaking factory in China which has the tools to create a stitched and turned upper that is applied to a sneaker midsole – a process which can’t be achieved in Italy,” he told us.
Beyond Italy, brands like New Balance continue to manufacture sneakers like their flagship 990 ‘dad shoe’ in the USA, using proven methods that date back decades.
Likewise, Adidas’ 4D technology sneakers, which require special 3D printing machines to construct the intricate sole, are all made in Germany with materials primarily sourced in Germany.
In short, it doesn’t matter which country sneakers are made in, but rather what kind of factory or workshop they were crafted in.