View Full Version : American-made trail runners/light hiking shoes?
I'm exploring the idea of using entirely Made-in-the-USA gear on my 2015 NOBO AT Thru Hike. My biggest issue is in footwear. Any recommendations?
Old Hillwalker
07-04-2014, 12:42
New Balance still makes shoes here in Maine.
http://www.newbalance.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-newbalance_us2-Site/default/Default-Start?gclid=CMSg_faMrL8CFU1qMgodoVkANw&ECID=ps_nwbln_nbus_mk_374311&src=121213hbb&ef_id=UuT@PAAABGFFfREW:20140704164216:s
MuddyWaters
07-04-2014, 18:56
Entirely made in US gear?
Even if something is assembled here, its highly likely that components came from other places. Foams, rubber, fabrics, thread, adhesives, vinyl overlays, etc.
The concept of "made in USA" can get a bit blurry.
And what if the people "making it" are mexican immigrants?
The world is very globally integrated today. The main reasons we can afford many items we have, is often because somewhere along the production line cheap labor was used in a previous step. We actually all are better off, because we exploit the willingness of people in emerging economies to work for very cheap. Better off than if our products were totally american made.
... We actually all are better off, because we exploit the willingness of people in emerging economies to work for very cheap. Better off than if our products were totally american made.
Better off? I think not.
JJMorse,
Good luck with your endeavor. I look forward to reading your gear list.
As MuddyWaters pointed out, your are likely to be carrying gear that was crafted from foreign made materials, However, my guess is everything you'll need for a thru is being crafted somewhere in the US.
Muddy,
New Balance says that they label Made in USA if 70% content is domestic.
Or you could do like me and use antique gear that was made in the USA or a few bits and pieces from Sweden and Italy.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
MuddyWaters
07-04-2014, 20:55
Better off? I think not.
JJMorse,
Good luck with your endeavor. I look forward to reading your gear list.
As MuddyWaters pointed out, your are likely to be carrying gear that was crafted from foreign made materials, However, my guess is everything you'll need for a thru is being crafted somewhere in the US.
Id say we are better off alright. The result of offshore manufacturing of US consumer goods is the reason our standard of living is so much better than our grandparents. We have more "stuff". Yeah, its cheap disposeable garbage, from clothes, to toys, to furniture, you name it. But in our granparents day, they couldnt afford anything. People owned a few nice things, but rest of lives were more spartan than today, because everything cost more. That changed when Japan first emerged , then China. In the US today, a person on welfare can be obese, and have an iphone. What a place.
MuddyWaters,
You are indeed in a state of confusion. Spend a dollar close to home and it returns over and over. Consume vast quantities of fossil fuels to send your dollar across the globe and it is gone forever. We then have people with no jobs living on welfare consuming the cheapest possible calories.
We are NOT living better off than our grandparents. How many recent college grads are living in their high school bedroom?
Tuckahoe
07-04-2014, 22:22
As much as I would enjoy such a topic as the merits of global trade and eeconomics, we should simply stick to the original question of what footwear is American made.
As much as I would enjoy such a topic as the merits of global trade and eeconomics, we should simply stick to the original question of what footwear is American made.
Some models from Danner are still made in the USA, but not all.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Feral Bill
07-04-2014, 23:15
Some models from Danner are still made in the USA, but not all.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here. New Balance owns Danner
New Balance owns Danner
I think that is Dunham.
Danner is a different company.
http://www.danner.com/
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Feral Bill
07-05-2014, 02:24
I think that is Dunham.
Danner is a different company.
http://www.danner.com/
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here. Oops. My mistake.
No worries. Easy mistake to make.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
How bout "Oboz"
Nope. Made in Asia. On their FAQ page. Took a bit of digging to find.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Well... do we just need to make some Moccasins...
Ricky&Jack
07-06-2014, 01:28
screw american pride. We're talking about your feet.
So get whats comfortable, and in your price range. Don't risk injury and comfort.
screw american pride. We're talking about your feet.
So get whats comfortable, and in your price range. Don't risk injury and comfort.
What do you mean?
Ricky&Jack
07-06-2014, 01:40
What do you mean?
I meant that the original poster should not feel "limited" to only american made shoes.
Feet are soooo important, that he should feel free to buy any shoe he wants, as long as its comfortable.
If it was between a pair of super comfortable fiting Nikes made over seas, or a pair of "okay-ish" shoes made here in america, then the foreign shoes would be best.
Pick based on comfort and reliability. Thats whats important with shoes. Not whats on the tag.
(Im not saying american shoes suck. I'm just saying that feet/shoes are super important and all that should matter is the comfort and reliability, wherever its from)
I meant that the original poster should not feel "limited" to only american made shoes.
Feet are soooo important, that he should feel free to buy any shoe he wants, as long as its comfortable.
If it was between a pair of super comfortable fiting Nikes made over seas, or a pair of "okay-ish" shoes made here in america, then the foreign shoes would be best.
Pick based on comfort and reliability. Thats whats important with shoes. Not whats on the tag.
(Im not saying american shoes suck. I'm just saying that feet/shoes are super important and all that should matter is the comfort and reliability, wherever its from)
What shoe do you wear jackricky?
fiddlehead
07-06-2014, 02:06
Limmer went under aye?
I'd try making your own.
Go find an old shoe repair guy and work with him if it's so important to you.
Who knows? You might be starting a future well-known company.
Tuckahoe
07-06-2014, 07:18
This Keen shoe is listed as made in the US -- http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/product/shoes/men/outdoor/durand%20low%20wp
Additional Keen info:
http://gearjunkie.com/keen-built-in-usa
Good news. Now if we could ween the market off of obligatory Gore-Tex sweat liners.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Limmer went under aye?
I'd try making your own.
Go find an old shoe repair guy and work with him if it's so important to you.
Who knows? You might be starting a future well-known company.
Who said Limmer went under?
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Patrickjd9
07-06-2014, 10:50
In the US today, a person on welfare can be obese, and have an iphone.
Just because one can get sufficient calories on white flour and cooking oil on a buck a day doesn't make it healthy. Subsidized fatty and calorie-filled foods are basically being used as a national sedative.
TrippLite
07-06-2014, 11:41
According to the article below, the Keen shoe is a hybrid shoe. Uppers are made in China and soles are attached to uppers in the Portland facility, therefore Keen can't claim their shoes are " Made in the USA" but rather "Built in the USA"
http://www.ecouterre.com/keen-opens-shoe-factory-less-than-5-miles-from-oregon-headquarters-photos/
fiddlehead
07-06-2014, 20:30
Who said Limmer went under?
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Sorry, I thought I read it here on whiteblaze about a year ago.
I'm wrong as their website still appears that they make their famous hiking boots.
So, there you go, OP. Check out Limmers.
But, I believe they're 7 lbs a pair or something.
Heavier than some people's packs!
Sorry, I thought I read it here on whiteblaze about a year ago.
I'm wrong as their website still appears that they make their famous hiking boots.
So, there you go, OP. Check out Limmers.
But, I believe they're 7 lbs a pair or something.
Heavier than some people's packs!
Another internet myth. Actually, the ready made boots from Bavaria are in the 4 pounds and under range. Not sure how much the custom boots weigh. I doubt 7 pounds, but do not know for sure. I just regret not getting a pair of the custom boots when a friend first told me about them many moons ago.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Another internet myth. Actually, the ready made boots from Bavaria are in the 4 pounds and under range. Not sure how much the custom boots weigh. I doubt 7 pounds, but do not know for sure. I just regret not getting a pair of the custom boots when a friend first told me about them many moons ago.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
I just checked:
Custom and Standard are 4.25 pounds in 9 medium.
The other 3 ready made boots are progressively lighter. Made in Germany. Sorry. Only the Custom boots are made in NH.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Feral Bill
07-06-2014, 22:25
They don't seem to specify, but I fear the wait for custom Limmers is very long. A couple of years or more, maybe.
Its not a zero sum game. 4 people are stranded on an island. Each are capable of catching 4 fish a day from the ocean, which is enough to sustain them, but it takes them all day to do it. They have an economy that produces only 16 fish per day. One day one of them takes a day off from fishing and goes hungry all day...during that day he invents a new fishing device that makes catching fish much easier. The next day he tries it out and catches 20 fish before noon. As of that day the other 3 inhabitants on the island are unemployed. They take the afternoon off and enjoy some leisure time. The next day one of them begins building a better shelter. Another seeks ways to diversify their food supply by planting a garden or hunting local game. The third one builds a set of drums out of a hollow log so they will have some entertainment.
Something similar happened here. Used to be most people in this country made their living by farming. Today, because of advancements, less than 3% of the people are now required to produce a lot more food. In fact so much food that we export it. Freeing up all those people who would have otherwise been farmers has allowed time for producing many other things. Over time, we became so wealthy compared to other parts of the world that we were able to consume 25% of the world's resources and we can now afford to pay people in other countries to produce for us. The poorest of the poor in this country are rich by the standards of most of the rest of the world. There's nothing wrong with trading with other countries...in fact, its probably the best way to keep from going to war with them. Nobody wants a war messing up their business.
They don't seem to specify, but I fear the wait for custom Limmers is very long. A couple of years or more, maybe.
Given the tales of woe I read on this and other forums from folks with hard to fit feet who continually chase cheap shoes and boots in the hope of finding something that works only to toss the latest pair of junk shoes in the trash, the wait is insignificant.
That said, I felt the same way about the wait. In the meantime, I have wasted more than the cost of a pair of Custom Limmers on expensive, name brand boots & shoes that either did not fit well or fell apart or both.
Dumb, Wayne. Really dumb.
A quick phone call will verify the current wait time. In the meantime, the Limmer family will sell you a pair of off the shelf boots either in person (the best way) or through the mail.
Wayne
Thanks for the suggestions, I'm really disappointed with how limited the selection is! I would love a pair of Limmers, but I don't think they would be appropriate for a thru - heavy and don't dry easily.
FYI: I found a place in Massachusetts that makes custom trail runners. At $260 a pop, it's outside my budget, but I'm considering stopping by to check them out and maybe haggling for a 2 pair system where I can alternate pairs while the other is being repaired, and possibly make it through with only 2 pairs and a bunch of resoles and other fixes.
http://www.herseycustomshoe.com/shop/trail-runner/
Otherwise, looks like the New Balance "70% American" models are all there is for American-made trail runners and light, non waterproof hikers. Too bad.
But then again, I'm already disappointed to learn that my Big Agnes Copper Spur was made in China, even though BA is an American company and most of their gear is supposedly made in the US... So I might end up bending my rules to just support American Companies instead of trying to find all Made in the US gear.
I understand how complicated "buying American" is, but this isn't the place for that discussion. Thanks for the help.
Teacher & Snacktime
07-07-2014, 23:57
And what if the people "making it" are mexican immigrants?
Problem with immigrants? From which tribe do you originate?