Though New Balance, the well-known athletic shoe brand, claims to be an American company, the shoes are actually made overseas. You’ve been walking the streets so proud of your American gear when, in fact, it’s not all that at all despite the headquarters being in Oregon. Though they claim to have an American design, even new models aren’t 100% made of American-sourced materials.
In fact, New Balance materials are mostly sourced from overseas, including their outer soles, which are manufactured in China. The shoes are labeled “made in the USA,” but there are many qualities of New Balance shoes that are not all-American.
Made Overseas: Converse
The loved Converse tennis shoes began in 1908 and became a fashion icon among pro-skaters and other street style lovers. Though Converse is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, they don’t manufacture their shoes in the USA. The company was sold to Nike in 2003, and production was moved overseas that same year.
Today, these colorful sneakers are made in Chinese and Indonesian factories. Though their branding has been to sell footwear that is “all-American,” they are not truly American-produced shoes. Don’t be surprised if you see just as many people wearing Converse shoes in China and Indonesia as you do in America.
Sold Overseas: Forbes
Forbes Media has had a tremendous influence on its American viewers through its digital media, print, and television outlets. The media giant reportedly reaches 75 million people each month. Forbes was sold to a Hong Kong investment group (Integrated Whale Media) in 2014, though their headquarters are still located in New York, and Steve Forbes remains the editor-in-chief.
In explaining the international sale, Forbes announced on their blog that they were shifting from print to digital content (which is not surprising), most likely in an effort to gain an even larger audience. To this day, Forbes remains a reliable source of information concerning the richest people on this planet.
Made Overseas: Dirt Devil
The Dirt Devil hand vacuum was created in 1984 by Royal Appliance Manufacturing. For decades, Americans have relied on this powerful vacuum to keep their homes clean. Now they have likely moved on to Roombas and iRobots. Dirt Devil is based in Charlotte, North Carolina but was bought by the Chinese manufacturer TTI in 2013.
China reportedly makes most of TTI’s products, including Hoover and Dirt Devil vacuum cleaners. So, though the headquarters might be in the U.S., today, the vacuums are most certainly made in China. They have several competitors in the industry, however, they are all made in the same place.
Made Overseas: Nike
Nike is certainly one of the most popular and iconic brands for both athletes and non-athletes alike, and in recent years it has even become more popular, with sports clothes becoming another word for casual. While the products have represented American style and athleticism for decades, China is making most of them.
Most of Nike’s shoes are made in overseas factories located in China and Vietnam. But when outsourcing labor overseas, it can be difficult for an American company to ensure ethical workplace standards outside of the United States. Most recently, it was reported that Nike products were being made under forced labor at one of their Chinese manufacturing plants.