The Department of Defense (DoD) will require new recruits to purchase American-made athletic shoes with their footwear allowances due to recent efforts by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine).
Collins and King have pushed the Pentagon to buy American-made footwear for years rather than circumventing the Berry Amendment, which requires recruits to use American-made products to the greatest extent possible.
“This decision will create more American manufacturing jobs at no cost to the taxpayer simply by requiring the military to buy American-made athletic footwear for new recruits, just as it does for other uniform items for our troops,” Collins said. “Maine has a long and proud shoemaking history, and officials from the Defense Department have seen first-hand the quality work being done by the talented men and women at New Balance in our state.”
Collins and King co-authored legislation last year that would have treated athletic footwear like every other uniform item to ensure that they were purchased from American companies like New Balance, which has factories in Maine.
“This is a real victory for Maine and is proof positive of what we already know – that American manufacturers, like New Balance, produce some of the best and most capable footwear in the world,” King said. “This decision by the Defense Department is a vote of confidence in the hardworking men and women of New Balance and represents an important commitment to supporting local manufacturing and investing in jobs here at home. Our recruits deserve to wear the finest American-made shoes available, and I am proud New Balance footwear will have a fair shot at serving the men and women of our military.”
Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine Fox recently called Collins and King to alert them of the decision.