New Balance: ‘It’s literally us against every other athletic shoe manufacturer in the world’

[cali]

<snip>

The 100-year-old company is the only athletic footwear manufacturer that still produces some of its shoes (about 25 percent) in the United States. But that homegrown story is threatened by a free trade deal the Obama administration is negotiating with Vietnam and other Pacific countries, which is why Maine’s congressional delegation is so eager to tout its successes to federal trade officials.

<snip>

But the attention New Balance has received from Maine’s congressional delegation isn’t because it has created jobs, it’s because those 900 jobs are in jeopardy.

Both visits by the U.S. trade representative stem from free trade negotiations the Obama administration is having with 10 Pacific nations. At issue are tariffs the United States imposes on imported athletic shoes from Vietnam. New Balance depends on as many 10 long-standing tariffs on certain footwear products to remain competitive, according to LeBretton.

<snip>

“It’s literally us against every other athletic shoe manufacturer in the world,” LeBretton said. “We look at it through the prism of domestic manufacturing and everyone else is looking at it through foreign partner manufacturing. It may at some level benefit us if [the Trans-Pacific Partnership] went through, but we don’t look at it that way. It would hurt our domestic operations and that’s just something we cannot stand.”

<snip>

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/07/30/business/new-balance-its-literally-us-against-every-other-athletic-shoe-manufacturer-in-the-world/

[bravenak]

1. I will buy another pair.

[cali]

2. I was just thinking I'd order a pair for my son

Bravenak, please read the piece by Dave Johnson on Nike. I'd love your feedback.

[bravenak]

3. Ok, I'll go check it out.

Which one is it?

[cali]

4. here's the link, and thanks

I have huge admiration for the author

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026640248

[bravenak]

5. I'm reading it right now.

This shit is so bad it's unreal. I think I'm going to have to pass on supporting the president on this. I'm going to go back and finish it. Outlook grim.

[rhett o rick]

73. Just a word about your puncuation or lack of

I thought for a moment that Bravenak was your son.

I read the piece you are speaking of and will give you a piece of my mind, solicited or not.

Pres Obama is going to chat with the head of Nike about his Free Trade piece of shit. Notice he isn't going to speak to the head of New Balance.

I do not understand how a Democrat can support the TPP. Maybe someone here in DU will be brave enough to tell me.

[pocoloco]

58. I've got a pair of their "Trail Runners" on as I read this.

Really comfortable for every day wear!

.......looks like these were made in China though.

[bravenak]

59. They are super comfortable.

I have weird feet, so I need the balance to be right.

[awoke_in_2003]

63. There are a few lines...

made overseas, but most are domestic. The tag in the tongue will indicate country of origin (for future reference).

[awoke_in_2003]

62. I have worn NB since 2000

because Nike Airs always seem to blow out. Then I discovered that MOST of their shoes are made here. Check the label- they clearly indicate where they are made. I have not, however, stumbled upon any imported ones yet, but I always check. They build a quality shoe that holds up well to my fat self.

[bravenak]

67. Good advice.

I'll make sure to check where they are made.

[Agschmid]

99. Same.

[Jackpine Radical]

71. Yeah, I think I'm getting due for a new pair too.

[bravenak]

82. Great minds think alike!

[LittleGirl]

6. one of the few sneakers

that are wide enough for my floppy feet. It's so hard to get athletic shoes that work for me.

[mainer]

9. Same here. The only shoes with a wide toe-box

And the only athletic shoes I can comfortably wear.

[Jeff Murdoch]

43. And they don't disintegrate in 3 months. nt

[jeff47]

44. Well, their US-made ones don't.

I wasn't careful and ended up with a non-US-made pair. Disintegrated very quickly.

[Jeff Murdoch]

45. I usually go with the discontinued models

that I get at 50% off at the local sporting goods store.
They last longer and fit better than the 5 pairs of cheap ass ones you would burn through in the meantime.

[Cracklin Charlie]

115. Have you tried...

The New Balance model that has none of that foam padding on the inside of the shoe?

I have gone through three pairs of them now, and I will never buy any other kind of sneakers. I can't remember what they are called, but I love, love, love them! They're the closest sneaker that I've ever found to barefoot.

[KG]

7. get with it NB, sending american jobs to asia is the liberal thing to do!

[jopacaco]

8. Support New Balance

The factory is about 13 miles from me in Skowhegan (the only town with that name in the world). I know people who work there. This area used to make Dexter, Bass, San Antonio, and lots more brands of shoes. Thanks to NAFTA, none but New Balance remain.

[littlewolf]

14. I really like NB ... I also wear Bass .... I thought they were

made in the US ... sorry to hear they moved overseas.

I need to replace a pair of tennis shoes ... will make sure they are
NB ...

[n2doc]

10. NB is what I wear

Good shoes and they are comfortable.

[LiberalElite]

11. I read here on DU that the owner was a big Romney donor.

Many NB shoes are made in other countries already. But, he kept some jobs in the U.S. What to do? I buy New Balance.

[salib]

25. Yep. And that is the point.

Buy American is all good. So is recognizing a company when it does something better than others. However. One of that has real impact. We must change policy.

Instead of trying to get rid of the Walmarts of the world, we should instead change the laws so that to be successfully Walmart and all others must offer living wage jobs, employee ownership, green practices, good retirement, etc.

They will only do what we force them to.

[erronis]

57. Other good points. Adding one - pay your fair share of taxes, locally and nationally.

[7962]

78. Exactly. Thats how we get chemicals dropped from food, etc

When Wal MArt announced they were no longer going to sell milk from cows with hormones (i think, not sure), that was a game changer because they sell more milk than anyone. SO if you were in the milk biz, you followed suit. And the more fast food companies that say they're dropping additives or whatever, the more demand there will be to produce them

[Enthusiast]

12. Leave your factory here and I vow to only buy New Balance.

I feel like a fool. I wasn't aware that NB was the sole domestic producer.

[DCBob]

13. Tarrifs are not the solution either.

[peacebird]

15. Why isn't Obama speaking at New Balance today instead of Nike?

At least NB still makes shoes in America...

[Ed Suspicious]

48. Clearly New Balance is not in support of the TPP. That would explain why he isn't there.

[Thespian2]

16. I have five pairs of athletic shoes...

all NB...I, too, find the toe-box very comfortable...

[deurbano]

89. That's a new term I learned today-- toe-box!

[Thespian2]

90. Probably

comes from terms used for a ballerina's toe-shoes...they are literally boxes...

[neverforget]

111. Mine are all New Balance too and have been for the past 10 or so years.

I really like them as they have shoes that I like and fit for extra wide feet.

[HassleCat]

17. Gotta Get Some

I always liked New Balance because they have a choice of widths. Time for another pair.

[awoke_in_2003]

64. Yep...

with most brands, I have to jump up to a 11.5 or 12 to get a good fit width wise. I am a 10.5 DD, according to my measurements at the Red Wing store (I am at work, wearing my American made 606s) and the wide NBs are great.

On edit: Oops, just checked the tag- I am 10.5 EE. For some reason I had double D's on my mind

[stonecutter357]

18. it doesn't look good for a company to whine like that .

just make a better shoe.

[cali]

20. wow. such lack of knowledge is impressive

first of all, it's Maine's Senators that have been standing up for NB and jobs in Maine and are making a point. Secondly, they simply can't compete with companies like Nike that don't give a fuck about American jobs and are happy to exploit people in third world countries. They make a great shoe, dear- and the testimony to that can't just be found here in this thread, but all over the web. This has NOTHING to do with the quality of their product.

[mmonk]

21. Theirs are the better shoe.

[FLPanhandle]

22. As a long time runner, they make a great shoe

I was wearing them because of their quality & fit even before I learned they were US made.

[BrotherIvan]

42. STUNNING Ignorance

[frylock]

49. derp

[raindaddy]

56. There's a reason that arrow in the Hillary logo points to the right..

Let's be honest. While Hillary has transformed herself into a campaign season populist and is still contemplating about her opinion on whether or not she supports the TPP. Bernie Sanders has the backs of the poor and middle class just as he has his whole career.

[awoke_in_2003]

65. Their's is the better shoe...

but far too many Americans want cheap, no matter that it costs American jobs.

[DefenseLawyer]

66. Supply-side Milton Friedman stupidity knows no bounds

Labor costs? That has nothing to do with anything. Supply and demand, my boy, that's what it's all about.

[7962]

79. They're not "whining", they're pointing out that THEY produce in the US.

Its called taking advantage of a good PR availability

[LeftyMom]

83. They make excellent shoes, in a wider range of sizes,

and their prices are comparable to other athletic shoes. And their shoes wear really well and last a long time compared to the competition.

The only thing one could really fault them on is that they tended to have boring colorways (if you wanted a white shoe with a touch of navy blue trim for that suburban dad look they were your guys) and not to jump on trends (less structured shoes, etc) quite as enthusiastically as other manufacturers, but they've really stepped that up in the last three years or so. Which is why I'm wearing a bright, minimalist, springy-soled US manufactured pair of New Balances, as I type this. Because they converted me back from the super comfortable but sadly quick to wear Saucony Kinvara by making a similar shoe I like even more.

[mmonk]

19. New Balance are the only athletic shoes in our household.

[juajen]

107. People,please!

"New Balance is the only athletic shoe in our household." Sometimes I just go off Sorry.

[a kennedy]

23. Some info here on New Balance made in USA.....

http://www.newbalance.com/made_in_usa.html Not all shoes are made in USA, but some.

[Brickbat]

24. Their made-in-USA shoes are fantastic. It's all we use for running.

People, read your labels!

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

26. Back in the days when I still wore 'athletic shoes', I wore New Balance.

Not that I knew they were made in the US, but simply because they seemed to be the only people making shoes wide enough in my short foot size.

[Jim Lane]

68. New Balance isn't limited to athletic shoes.

I also haven't worn sneakers or running shoes in many moons, but my everyday footwear is New Balance walking shoes. I'm currently wearing the model 928 in solid black. They're also available in brown or gray, rather than the bright colors and prominent logos used in running shoes. They look normal but are very comfortable.

You can go to the store locator on the New Balance website to see if anyone sells them near you. You can also order from the website if you're confident you know your size.

[NaturalHigh]

27. I think I'll have to get myself a pair.

[Capt. Obvious]

28. New Balance is all I wear

It's great - go to their Brighton location and buy cheap footwear.

I go even cheaper as I had right to the back for the clearance sneakers.

[TM99]

29. My father turned me on to New Balance

decades ago. He bought their walking shoes religiously until he died.

I have worn no other athletic shoes since then except for New Balance.

Fuck, Obama should be there instead of Nike but he is more interested in his 'legacy' of Neo-Liberal trade policies than actual damned American jobs.

[Hoyt]

30. Unfortunately, their USA made shoes have a premium price that most folks can't afford.

That's why 75% of their shoes aren't made here, and most NB owners are not wearing the American made ones.

Not happy it's that way, but it's a fact.

[cali]

33. do you know the phrase "the carriage trade"? There are more

than enough people with money to sell their shoes to that market.

[Hoyt]

38. But, the 60%ers or so can't afford the American made ones. Are they supposed to go

barefooted to keep from producing shoes overseas.

NB only makes 25% of its shoes here, and there is some question about that. Most are made in China and New Balance pays less than $0.50 an hour and uses so-called "sweatshops." In fact, roughly 30% of the shoe -- labeled Made in USA on hang tags, not on the shoe itself -- is made overseas.

None of this is good, depressing actually. But, it's not likely athletic shoe manufacturing is coming back here unless there are robots doing 98% of the work.

[Johonny]

40. True

I love New Balance, but their made in the usa are very limited in style and are $$$ compared to their foreign shoes. Like all sneaker companies the mark up is probably huge. Luckily my Made in USA New Balance wear great. I've gotten a lot of mileage from them and it seems there long wear time does somewhat augment their high cost. As for outlets... I never see the made in usa in their outlets, but that might just be timing as outlets go. I love them, but won't lie that they aren't easy to afford. They cost a lot, but so don't premium Nike and most of that is pure profit on Nike's part and they aren't made in the usa.

[LeftInTX]

72. Mine cost $160

But, I've got peripheral neuropathy, so I don't have much of a choice. My other clothes are dirt cheap, (mostly shorts and tee shirts) so it makes up for it.

[LeftyMom]

88. God, it's not like they're $30 on the internet or anything.

http://www.joesnewbalanceoutlet.com/detail.asp?style=W1290GY&size=&width=&category=usa&selection=usa&sort=shoes&shoeLast=&price=

Oh wait, they totally are.

I've never had a problem walking into the nearest outlet store that carries them and walking out with a pair of excellent US manufactured shoes for about what a garbage pair of running shoes at Target would cost. And I wear a weird size.

[REP]

91. Same here

My size might be weirder though 6.5 WW. NBs fit my weird feet and are comfortable.

[LeftyMom]

92. I wear a 10.5 W or a 10 WW.

Sometimes it's just easier to get an 8.5 in men's for athletic shoes, everything else gets real complicated.

And then I have issues with shin splints. And I don't wear leather.

Other than that it's pretty easy to get shoes.

[REP]

97. I've been seeing more and more vegan shoes

And they're cute, too!

Finding W shoes is hard enough; finding WWs is like striking gold. I have a couple pairs of men's 5s (I bought the display shoes) but I end up wearing a lot of open toe-open heels and calling it a day.

[Hoyt]

94. Those are the Chinese shoes. 75% of NB shoes are not made here because most people

aren't going to pay $125 - 170 for them.

[LeftyMom]

95. The link I posted says FOUR TIMES that they were made in the US, but I guess you missed it.

I mean, the red white and blue "Made in the USA" icon was kind of subtle.

The US-made shoes are easy to find for reasonable prices on this newfangled thing called the internet. Or by walking into any discount/outlet shoe shop in meatspace that carries New Balance.

[Hoyt]

100. Heck, now you are talking about shoes dumped on the market in outlets because they don't sell at reg

price. NB has even been accused of claiming some of their shoes are made in USA when they aren't.

Did you notice, there is only 1 size. They aren't made anymore. Of course, they are cheap. The next step if they don't sell is to give them away.

[LeftyMom]

104. Yep, the cheap ones are last season's colors or something. The horror.

Kindly pick an objection and stick to it.

[BeanMusical]

106. Lol! Well said.

[JoeyT]

112. Yeah, because the trade deals some DUers are so fond of sent their jobs to other countries.

Then the service sector jobs that replaced them don't pay enough to buy anything that isn't made in a sweatshop, and barely that.

[Hoyt]

113. Yep, if only we had built a wall around America and traded among ourselves, we'd be better off.

{Sarcasm thingy}

[Populist_Prole]

116. Yep, that's right

No sarcasm. You dodged the poster's statement because you knew it was on target, and you came back with ultra-trite BS boilerplate.

Corporatist tool.

[Hoyt]

117. I responded to his post, you just don't get it. How many skilled jobs were sent overseas?

[PeoViejo]

31. New Balance has an Outlet Store

This is where I get mine:

http://www.joesnewbalanceoutlet.com

[cascadiance]

32. Hmm... Just thinking it would have been nice for a bunch of us here near Nike...

... today to have all been wearing New Balance T-shirts and walk down Jenkins road here in front of Nike headquarters when Obama pays them a visit to provide a "subtle" way of communicating our displeasure with this meeting of these two entities to push this god awful TPP. Too bad we couldn't have thought of this maybe a week ago.

[phantom power]

34. I like NB, though admittedly they're the only shoe that fits my 8.5-EEEE feet

[MissDeeds]

35. New Balance is all we buy

In fact, husband is going to buy another pair today.

[ChazII]

36. Mother's Day I will be asking

for New Balance shoes. It's time to retire my sneakers.

[Starry Messenger]

37. k&r

I love that you can design your own shoe, too. Will get a second pair.

[Romulox]

39. Over the years, NB has *obviously* taken proceeds from the USA made shoes to set up sweatshops overseas.

[geomon666]

41. New Balance is all I wear and I didn't know they were made in the USA.

I just thought they were damn good shoes.

[SpankMe]

46. Attention weightlifters:

Wear New Balance Minimus shoes for squatting and deadlifting. The flatness, firmness and thinness of the sole facilitate the lifting movements very well. Using a squishy padded sole shoe is very bad for the lift and for the mechanics.

New Balance Minimus 20v3 Mid-Cut Cross-Trainer and Minimus 20v4 Cross-Trainer are perfect for this.

This isn't an ad or spam - it's a recommendation for a good product - based on my experience - from a company that still has a conscience.

[Ed Suspicious]

47. That settles it. I only buy New Balance sneaks going forward.

[uppityperson]

50. Link to list of other usa made shoes. I could never afford them until I got plantar faciitis, then

one pair fixed my feet and I am sold on them.

The shoes on this list are not athletic shoes, but others.

http://www.usalovelist.com/american-made-shoes-ultimate-source-list/

[Iggo]

54. Thanks for that list.

[Recursion]

51. The Marines give you a pair of NB sneakers in boot camp

You run over 100 miles in them over the next 13 weeks, and they were the best shoes I ever had. I haven't brought another brand of athletic shoe since.

[Iggo]

52. Didn't they give like a half-million bucks to Romney that one time?

[Divernan]

86. Learn to research and document, if you want to join the discussion!

[Iggo]

103. Aw.

[Xyzse]

53. I have not looked at their shoes.

I will consider it post haste.

Last time I had a pair was waaaaaaaaaay back in high school.
I wasn't impressed then, but that was during the 90s.

Have they improved?

[tularetom]

55. When you have size 13EEEE feet you become a NB fan real quick

I just checked. I have six pairs of shoes. Four of them are cowboy boots and the other two are New Balance sneakers. They rarely get any repeat business from me because the suckers last forfuckinever.

I'd buy them even if they were made in North Korea, the fact that they are made in the US is an added plus far as I'm concerned.

Just one more reason to oppose this shitty trade agreement.

[Bluzmann57]

60. I wear only New Balance

Mainly because they are the lone (partially) made in USA brand out there. They are very well made and last a long time. They sure have my support.

[Worried senior]

61. Having had two hip replacements

Several on one hip alone NB are the only walking shoe that is braced and doesn't cause my husband's foot to turn sideways.

We spent plenty on athletic shoes as that is what his dr. wanted him to wear and they all fell apart, no matter the brand.

A cousin of his recommended the NB; they aren't cheap but they do last and he can walk decently.

[csziggy]

69. The one pair I got was so bad fitting I gave them away

Even though they were the same size shoe I'd worn for my entire adult life, the NB shoes were not long enough and the heel was lined with puffy stuff that made them impossible to put on without using a shoe horn. There were also problems with the break over point on the sole - it felt as though the part under the arch was too stiff and there was a hinge right under the middle of the ball of my foot. I wore them once around the house for a couple of hours and my feet hurt for days to the point I couldn't stand the thought of wearing them again. So I gave them to a charity and hope whoever gets them is more comfortable wearing them than I was.

[LibGranny]

70. It's the only type of athletic shoe I'll wear and I currently have 9 pairs

of them! They don't hurt my feet at all (even when they're brand new) and, because I walk daily, I've tried
many different name brands and ALWAYS had foot pain from other shoes. I love New Balance so think I'll
go order another pair!

[rhett o rick]

74. I support New Balance. nm

[d_legendary1]

75. NBs are really comfortable shoes

Its a shame that they don't have high tops since I have weak ankles and are prone to sprains (even at my younger days where I was fit as a fiddle).

[7962]

76. The only sneakers I've ever bought for myself since I was a teenager. And they LAST.

Good quality product made HERE.

[randys1]

77. A new pair of 990's is about $200. Good shoes, but what I dont understand is why so much?

Made in America, yes.

Big fan of NB, yes.

But I dont think it should cost that much even if you are paying your labor force $20 an hour or more.

[7962]

80. How much are "Air Jordans"? And where are they made? Harder to justify THEIR price! nt

[randys1]

81. NIke are criminals. NB are not, and I want to understand the need to charge that much period

[Lizzie Poppet]

84. NB is the only athletic shoe maker I'll buy from.

Fortunately, I'm not sacrificing anything, as they have excellent shoes.

One exception (because NB doesn't make 'em): cycling shoes.

[Divernan]

85. Nikes are made in Vietnam w/slave labor, i.e, 60 cents an hour pay.

Robert Reich

Today President Obama is giving a speech at Nike's headquarters in Oregon, promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership. It’s an odd choice of venue. American workers contribute only 1 percent of the value of products that generate Nike’s revenue. And Nike is moving ever more of its production abroad. Last year it laid off a third of its remaining 13,922 American production workers. Most of Nike’s products are made by 990,000 workers in low-wage countries whose lousy working conditions have made Nike a symbol of global sweatshop labor.

As wages have risen in China, Nike has switched most of its production to Vietnam where almost 340,000 people make its products for less than 60 cents are hour. Nike is only playing by the rules. The Trans Pacific Partnership would make this even worse – protecting corporate investors but leading to even more off-shoring of American jobs.

What do you think?

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/posts/996691793676750?fref=nf&pnref=story

[Hoyt]

96. Wise up. Lots of NB's are made in Vietnam too. Why? Because NB can't complete with other shoe

companies without going overseas. Yes, they sell some made in America, but for a lot more than those made on China or Vietnam.

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/headlines/20121226-vietnam-trade-deal-sparks-a-running-battle-on-shoe-tariffs.ece

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

101. Thus why we need tariffs, make imported shoes and shoes made in america cost the same

[Hoyt]

102. Tariffs won't work long-term. Besides, you think poorer people are going to pay an exorbitant price.

[PatrickforO]

87. I just bought a pair of New Balance shoes. They are ALL I wear because they try and keep jobs here.

[Cosmic Kitten]

93. New Balance Supports Republicans

New Balance is reaping
what it sows.

In supporting republicans
they have undermined
their own future.

NB is supporting the people
who will guarantee more
outsourcing and then complain
about an unfair global market


Open Secrets: http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000036175&cycle=A
pfft

Who NB donated to:

Collins, Susan M (R-ME)
Boehner, John (R-OH)
Gomez, Gabriel (R-MA)
Graham, Lindsey (R-SC)
Brown, Scott (R-NH)

[Agschmid]

98. *some.

But I still buy them.

[cascadiance]

105. We need to wear "New Balance T-shirts" out there to provide our opnion especially in Nike country...

... where I am now a few miles away.



We should make these in to t-shirts, and perhaps get New Balance's blessing on them too.

[whereisjustice]

108. Obama is putting on a comfortable pair of shoes designed and manufactured in Asia and

fighting to send more jobs to abusive sweatshops which are impossible to regulate.

[Hoyt]

109. Just like New Balance. Most of their shoes are made in Vietnam.

[YOHABLO]

110. Do you really think most U.S. citizens give a rats ass where their shoes are manufactured >

or anything else for that matter? Does anyone really have a conscience about the little lady getting 60cents an hour in Vietnam? Sorry but it's true. How do we educated people about the consequences of the TPP? Do you think most Americans even know what that stands for? I am about to throw in the towel.

[alfredo]

114. Nice shoes, but the heel counter just doesn't fit me right. I hope they can hold on.

[AzDar]

118. K & R