American made New Balance Shoes are the best running shoes money can buy.   They fit better.  They last a lot longer.  And most importantly, I don’t get injured while wearing them.  The shoes I’m buying are the New Balance 990 line.  They cost a whopping $160, but they are well worth it.  But they are better made, offer more attention to detail, than anything the competition has to offer.

 

According to the New Balance web site, every single one of its competitors manufactures their running shoes outside the U.S.

My Thai girlfriend was incredulous when I told her that my old running shoes were made in the U.S.  Believing they had to be made in China. After all,  China supplies most Thais with their exercise shoes. But she despises Chinese stuff about as much as I do.

Now you would think  that Chinese products are not flooding the Thai market because of the low price of Thai labor.  But they are, and most these products are absolute junk.

So when I was approaching my annual two week trip to the U.S. she asked me to get her a pair of U.S. running shoes. So I ordered two pairs of running shoes from Amazon and a few other items, had it all sent to a U.S. business address of mine and brought it all back to my condo here in Thailand. And sure enough, my New Balance running shoes said, “Made in the U.S.” But hers read “Made in China”. I had thought the colors of her pair were very striking, but the look on her face went way South as if I had promised her a diamond, but when she opened the box a turd fell out at her feet.

A few days later we were talking to one of my German friends at the health club.

The German just didn’t believe me when I told him I was wearing American made New Balance Shoes.

And that they  are the best running shoes money can buy.   Because they fit better.  And they last a lot longer.  And  I don’t get injured  wearing them.  So after he told me, “they were probably only assembled in the United States I decided to check out just how committed New Balance was to U.S. labor.

The New Balance web site states: “One out of every 4 pairs of shoes we sell in the USA is made or assembled here.  And when the domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes “American made New Balance Shoes.”

The web site also states: “We’re proud to employ 1,300 U.S. Factory workers. That’s 1,300 more than any of our competitors. When it comes to strengthening our local economies, creating jobs, and crafting quality products, Made in America matters. At New Balance it always has. And it always will.”

That means that Nike, Adidas, Brooks and all those competitors are manufacturing shoes outside the United States. So I agree with New Balance, “Made in America matters.” And believe me, the New Balance shoes are a lot better than what their competition’s offering.

That’s because New Balance offers its shoes in half sizes. My shoe size is 11 1/2. Not 11, and not 12.

But here in Thailand I’m forced into buying shoes that are either too short or too roomy to give me a snug fit. And that just not good enough for me. Be sure that when I return to the U.S. next year, I’ll be on the telephone with whatever outlet I’m getting my New Balance shoes at, and I’ll be insisting that our next pairs of New Balance shoes will be made in the U.S.