Can you walk the walk when it comes to buying American?
When it comes to buying American, you know people who talk the talk, but can they walk the walk? I mean literally, buying shoes made in this country. From hand crafted Italian leather, to mass produced Chinese plastics, the shoe industry has changed dramatically, and may be on the verge of changing again.
Tonight we continue our special Fact Finder series and take a closer look at buying American shoes.
Golden Shoes has one of the biggest signs in downtown Traverse City, with one of the longest retail histories.
Sales Associate Kate Laffin says, "The store has been here for more than 100 years. Golden's knows shoes."
When the store first opened, shoes were hand crafted locally. They were more expensive, relatively speaking, and there were fewer options.
She says, "The shoe industry has changed dynamically in 100 years. There are a million different kinds of shoes now."
The age of mass production brought more options and cheaper prices, but it also led a lot of manufacturing overseas.
Laffin says, "Most shoes are made in china."
She admits only about 5% of the shoes they carry are made in this country. And most stores carry less than that.
Laffin says the cost of labor is one reason, but so is the price of plastic. She says it's actually cheaper for some companies to make the entire top half of the shoe in their home country, and then ship it to China just for the sole. If it's finished there, it's technically made in China.
A lot of American brands you know are no longer made in this country. Minnetonka Moccasins, Stride Rite, Crocs,
But there are a few exceptions.
Companies like Neil M., and SAS shoes which are made in the U.S. She says they come with a higher price tag, but also higher quality.
More recently sneaker company New Balance is making a deliberate return to U.S. manufacturing. Laffin says, "They're bringing more back so they can be that company."
New Balance has an entire section on its website touting it's made in America movement. Right now it's just a few of its styles made in Massachusetts.
But Laffin says that doesn't necessarily translate into a lot of jobs because these plants are also highly automated. New Balance representatives did not return our request for comment on specific jobs numbers.
Here's something important to note, if you truly want to buy American made shoes, you have to check every time you buy because as companies expand and grow, many companies that were once made in the U.S. quietly shift production overseas. And you'll only notice if you check the label.
What do you think about this? Share your thoughts below.
