Hey all, Mike here from allamerican.org. Now I've done a couple of previous videos on shoes, like the shoes made in the USA video, as well as our deep dive on cowboy boots. But today, I want to focus on sneakers. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ Now I've covered the state of the shoe manufacturing industry in those previous videos, but just a recap, it is pretty much all but evaporated in the US. Over 99% of the shoes that are purchased here are made overseas. And not just that, since 1990, over 80% of the US manufacturing jobs in shoes have gone overseas, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So what happened? Well, a lot of the big multinational brands, much like many other industries, were very attracted to cheap labor, materials, et cetera, that they could get from overseas, and pretty much throwing out the window, American manufacturing, and durability. So today, we want to highlight those brands that are dedicated to American manufacturing and producing really high quality sneakers that are made in the USA, as well as give you all some tips on how to find and source some of these sneakers and shoes and find the domestically made stuff. Now, I'll also talk about a few other brands, as well, that are very popular in the sneaker industry and where they're actually made. So let's get into it. Before we dive in on to a couple of quick tips for material sourcing, like usual, I have written about this exact same topic. So make sure to check in the description below for a link to that article, or you can just google allamerican.org and sneakers, and you should be able to find all of our written research on the site. Now, when it comes to materials for sneakers, there is a lot to consider. You have the outer sole, the insol, the upper sole, the laces, a lot of different hardware and materials to make sure that you're getting stuff that is sourced from the US. So when you're shopping in store, make sure to check that tag to look for the country of origin, where we have some US legislation in place that requires that on the tag for imported products. And if you're shopping online and can't really find that information on the website, make sure to give the brand a call or hit us up at allamerican.org. And we'll help find out for you. And you can also check out my full explainer video and research article on how to tell if a product is made in the USA, which I will link in the cards above as well as the description below. All right, let's get into some of great American Mates Nicar brands. Now, I don't have time to cover every single American Mates Nicar brand in this video. So make sure to leave a comment below with your favorite American Mates Nicar brands and make sure to check out our written research, where we have a full comprehensive list of all of the brands that we could find. First up is some footwear. Some footwear is based out of Montrose, Colorado, and makes a very minimalist sneaker that has a very flat sole, as well as a thin upper. I actually pulled a couple of pairs of some footwear from my closet. I have their low top variety here, which is a bit of their newer model, as well as their mid top here that I really love as well. These shoes are super breathable, and I also think minimalist shoes in general get a bad rap for being really tight, but these some footwear shoes have a pretty wide toe box, so you should have no problem for most people slipping your feet into these and making sure they're super comfortable. I also got the opportunity to visit these folks out in Montrose and tour their facility, so make sure to check out that tour video on our channel as well. Next up is Soft Star Shoes. Soft Star Shoes is based out of Oregon and similar to some, they're all about minimalist barefoot style footwear. I actually have a pair of their quick dry run-em-ux sneakers that I really love for working out and just everyday wear in general, especially when it's really hot outside. Now the soles are a pretty thin, you have a few choices in terms of thickness, so these are going to wear out a little bit quicker than your typical sneaker, but if you really like the minimalist feel, I think Soft Star is a good option. We also got the opportunity to interview the team at Soft Star, so make sure to check out that written interview on Hall of American.org. Next up is Sudo Sneakers. Sudo Sneakers is based out of Los Angeles, California and they make some great print-on sneakers with a lot of fun designs. These shoes are really affordable, they're very lightweight and they're made from a lot of recycled materials that are 100% US-sourced. Next up is Hersey Custom Shoes Company. Hersey is a really unique one. They make custom shoes much like the name suggests, so you can customize them pretty much however you want. However, it does look like they're going through a bit of a brand revamp right now, so they are currently on a wait list for new sneakers, but if you're willing to wait and really want a pair of their custom sneakers, definitely give them a look. Next up is Opieway. Opieway is a very small shop based out of Asheville, and if you're looking for something a little bit higher end, more casual sneakers that you can wear out around the town, Opieway has some great options. They have both low top and high top varieties and a bunch of different styles and colors. They are more on the expensive side for sure, but if you have the budget for it and really like their style, Opieway is definitely worth considering. And the last brand I'll cover in today's video is San Antonio Shoes. San Antonio Shoes is based out of, you guessed it, San Antonio, Texas, and they make a lot of great casual sneakers for both men and women. So if you're looking for more of a classic tennis shoe, definitely consider San Antonio Shoes. I will stipulate though that they have a small manufacturing partner in Italy. It looks like most of the production out of that facility, though, is really cornered around their dress shoes, but just something to watch out for when you're shopping on their site. All right, now let's cover some of the big brands in the industry and where they're actually made. First up, our new balance shoes made in USA. So new balance is a bit of a tricky one to figure out. They say that one out of every four of the shoes that they produce are either made or assembled in the US. Now, there's a lot of messaging in there to really figure out and pull apart. First, they say made or assembled. So that means that they are sourcing some materials from overseas, which is in fact the case. Their outer soles are sourced from China, and they also get a few other materials from other international sources. New balance has also been in the news a lot recently for the relaunch of a line of shoes that they say is made in the USA. Now, I'm not discounting that at all, but I really think this is a bit of just a PR push. So I would just be wary of new balance in general. You can check out our full research on AllAmerican.org on this brand. Next, our bricks shoes made in USA. So this popular running shoes brand is unfortunately no longer made in the USA. Pretty much all of their manufacturing happens in Vietnam, El Salvador, and other countries. And lastly, our sketchers, sneakers made in the USA. Sketchers is unfortunately not made in the USA. Most of their manufacturing partners are in China and Vietnam. All right, that's it for this video. I'm how to find sneakers made in the USA. If you have any questions, make sure to drop a comment below and we'll get back to you with an answer. And if you like this video, make sure to like and subscribe. And as always, thanks for supporting your country and shopping American made. See y'all next time.