I just purchased a pair of American made sneakers!

[mdmc]

http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/c2/65/6d/75433056-300x300-0-0_New+Balance+Balance+Mens+MX505NO+Shoe.jpg
I was able to find a pair of New Balance 505's. These kicks were Made (assembled) in the United States of America!

In the past I use to be a fashonista. I usually wore Hogan's (designed by Deigo Della Valle - Made in Italy)

or a pair of kicks by Prada or Channel.

But then I stopped working in retail management and started working in human service. I could not spend $420 on a pair of kicks..
I had always been a fan of skater Mark Gonzales. So for a while I was on an Adidas kicks kick - I dug the Gonz line and wore these most of the time -


---
But now a days I am really on a "buy American" kick. When I found a pair of kicks that were made in America, I jumped on them..

[BunkerHill24]

1. How much did you pay for them, if you don't mind me asking?

[mdmc]

3. $59.00 plus tax

they were some of the cheapest shoes in the store. There were all sorts of third world kicks (D&G, Vans, Converse, Nike) that were all more expensive..

[BunkerHill24]

7. Considering the cost of making them in the US, that's an excellent price, imo.

Congrats. Indeed that's a bargain.

[mdmc]

22. Not bad at all..

and they come with a little pro-American labor propaganda.. love it!

[sandnsea]

2. I just bought a pair of Keds for $20

I could not spend $50 on a pair of sneakers, or any other shoe for that matter, no matter where they were or weren't made. I wait for them to go on super-duper clearance, and then buy.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Where did you find them? LOL. That's exactly what I'm looking for!

But I can't seem to find them anymore. :(

[sandnsea]

11. Fred Meyer

That's where I always get my Keds, lol. And come to think of it, I haven't seen them anywhere else.

[Rhiannon12866]

19. Thanks! However, I'm on the opposite coast... But I'll check into it.

I remember growing up when we'd just go to the store every year and I'd get my new pair of white Keds. When I was 12 or 13, I got to go on my own. They cost $6. Guess I'm dating myself... :hide:

[sandnsea]

21. We got new shoes once a year too

I got oxfords for years. In 6th grade I finally got my mom to buy me a pair of penny loafers. But that's what we got, school shoes and keds and in the summer, "thongs".

Fred Meyer is part of Kroeger, if that helps at all.

[Rhiannon12866]

33. Thanks! I tried to do a search for locations, but it was "down..."

We got new school shoes, too, and I also got loafers, starting in 7th grade. My Dad was livid because he said that they had no support... But I kept them anyway. :-) :hi:

I'll try the search again. I once walked the whole length of a mall, waiting for my dog at the groomer, looking for plain white sneakers, but I came up empty. *sigh* I thought for sure that at least Sears or Penneys would carry them, but nobody did. :(

[mdmc]

13. Every local bodega has $2.oo closed toe slippers

Most of the girls I know own at least a pair of these. High school girls wear them and have 100s of pair in different colors and so on.. flip flops are another alternative

[sandnsea]

18. 100s of pairs?

100s??? Are you sure you don't mean... ten pair?

[mdmc]

23. sadly no

the slippers are very delicate and only last a couple of months, if well cared for.
Some of the girls own several pairs of the same slippers and no joke some have hundreds of pairs of these slip on slippers. The slippers only cost a couple of dollars per pair so they are easy to afford..

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Good for you! Nice sneeks!

I have a terrible time finding the kind I want, just plain white ones, but one time I went from one end of the mall to the other, sure I could just pick some up, but I never did find them. :( :hi:

[flvegan]

5. American made AND vegan, btw.

The 505 is an excellent bit of footwear.

[w8liftinglady]

6. I love NB-one of the few that have wide widths

[madmax]

9. Get outta town! ;) n/t

[Obamanaut]

10. Prior to the NBs, did you ever wear shoes? Or just 'kicks'? nt

[mdmc]

14. yup.. i've had kick, shoes, and footwear..

sandals too son..

[BrklynLiberal]

12. I used to shop at "NoSweat", but they closed their online shop...sadly.

Thanks for this info. I will use it when I am looking for my next pair of sneakers.

http://www.nosweatapparel.com/

I got INCREDIBLE Pink Hitops with the CODEPINK Logo. I actually bought TWO pair!!

They were a tribute to Codepink, and some of the proceeds went to them.

[mdmc]

16. that is a nice find!

code pink sneaks sound cool..
thanks for that link..

[Duer 157099]

15. Marianas? n/t

[mdmc]

17. no

sneakers..

[tularetom]

20. These are the most comfortable boots I own but I'll never buy another pair

made in China but that ain't the worst part. They are sold in the USA by Ariat, based in Arizona.

[malaise]

24. I have a few sneakers including

my New Balance but I discovered recently that it's not really made in America.

[mdmc]

25. they say that they are assembled in America

which I assume means that the pieces are all done up in the third world. I don't know what % of work is actually done in America.
I also know that only a small percentage of NB shoes are "assembled in America".. A majority of NB shoes are made in the third world - just like Vans and Nike..

[virgogal]

26. Assembling is probably putting the laces in. LOL

[mdmc]

27. that is what passes these days

..

[SocialistLez]

28. I've looked into New Balance

and when I FINALLY break down and buy some tennis shoes (I hate tennis shoes...), I plan to buy New Balances and the ones that are made in America.

I was incredibly depressed looking at all the computer equipment at my job and seeing how NONE of it was assembled in America.
It was either Mexico or China.

::Sigh::

[Contrary1]

29. That would depend on your definition of "Made in America".

April 16, 2010
New Balance sidesteps FTC ad rules
Shoemaker in landmark case sets its own ‘Made in America’ standards

"Fifteen years after a contentious legal battle set off a national debate on what it means to be Made in the USA, New Balance continues to sidestep the federal “all or virtually all” standard that governs the advertising claim. On its Web site and in shoe boxes, the company insists that as long as 70 percent of a shoe’s value comes from the United States, that’s good enough to be called Made in America..."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36476797/ns/business-us_business

[jefflrrp]

30. I read that article....

and I'll take an American assembling the shoes (and therefore supporting him/herself and family) over some kid in a third world country any day. Not that I don't like kids from third world countries, mind you. Just that I like Americans more =)


I own 3 pairs of the made-in-usa NB 473s. They are regularly under $40 on sale at my local Kohl's stores. You have to look for the made-here ones, though. I always check the shoes' tongue.

[Contrary1]

31. I wear New Balance too...

They are one of very few companies that make women's shoes in extra-wide. I have some luck getting them on Ebay.

Unfortunately, NB is like most other companies. I find a particular product I like, and then it is discontinued. The style I prefer is getting harder to find.

[mdmc]

32. my shoes stated that they were assembled in America

not Made in America..
I knew it was a lower standard..