US soldiers finally get to wear shoes "made in USA"

A new bipartisan bill introduced in the US Senate in June aims to ensure all combat boots used by US troops are made entirely in the country.

The Better Outfitting Our Troops, or BOOTS, Act united a diverse coalition of lawmakers across the political spectrum in proposing that all U.S. military boots be made from only American-made components. That includes optional combat boots, which commanders authorize as an alternative to standard military boots.

Currently, most of the military footwear models used by the US Army are made in China.

Sponsors of the BOOTS Act include Democratic and Republican U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, Susan Collins and Angus King, D-Maine, as well as Representatives Mike Bost, R-Ill., Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., and Jared Golden, D-Maine.

Current Defense Department regulations allow the purchase of foreign-made shoes, which lawmakers say are not only of low quality but also undermine domestic supply chains and American businesses.

This has led military contractors to source imports from lower-cost countries over the years.

Chinese shoes are being touted as a way to boost profits for defense contractors when competing in the US.

“All optional military footwear that is made in America not only means our troops will wear high-quality footwear, it also means we are reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains, strengthening our defense industrial base, and creating high-paying jobs for manufacturers large and small in communities right here at home,” said Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, sponsor of the BOOTS Act.

The bill has raised questions about the fact that the US Army is wearing foreign-made footwear at a time when the Department of Defense is prioritizing countering threats from China and investing resources in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Belleville Boots has been making high-quality military boots for our service members since World War I. But like many other American manufacturers, they are facing unfair competition from a flood of low-cost, low-quality imports,” Democratic state legislator Nikki Budzinski said in a statement. Budzinski represents the town of Belleville, Illinois, where Belleville Boots is based.

“Not only does this undermine American jobs, it also poses a real risk to our military readiness and national security.”

Finally, it's time for American soldiers to wear...American shoes.

According to the United States Footwear Manufacturers Association (USFMA), American footwear manufacturers currently produce less than 1 percent of the 2.7 billion pairs of shoes sold nationwide each year.

“It is alarming that up to 50 percent of our service members are now wearing foreign-made ‘optional’ footwear, while on duty,” said Bill McCann, USFMA CEO.

The BOOTs Act has been endorsed by many U.S. companies and associations, including USFMA, Belleville Boot Co., Glacial Lakes Rubber and Plastics, Worthen Industry, and the American Apparel and Footwear Association, among others.

“Currently, foreign-made boots undermine military readiness and disadvantage U.S. manufacturers, weakening the U.S. supply chain,” McCann said in an open letter regarding the BOOTS Act. “This commonsense change ensures uniform consistency, reduces confusion for service members, and supports the domestic industrial base as manufacturers rebuild capacity.”