Thorogood boots are made by the Weinbrenner Shoe Company, headquartered in Merrill, Wisconsin. The US-made lines come from two Weinbrenner plants in north-central Wisconsin, staffed by union workers.[1] Not every Thorogood is American-made: Weinbrenner also sells imported footwear. The US-made work boots are the American Heritage series, and its label reads "Made in USA with USA and globally sourced components."[2]

Which Thorogood boots are made in the USA?

Weinbrenner publishes a list of its Made in the USA footwear. The Thorogood lines on it are:[3]

  • Work: American Heritage (the moc toe and plain toe boots most people mean when they say "Thorogood")
  • Uniform: American Made Postal Certified, American Made Softstreets, American Made Street Athletics, Uniform Classics and Uniform Safety
  • Fire: Hellfire structural and wildland boots

Anything outside those lines may be imported. Weinbrenner says its imported product is managed from the Wisconsin headquarters,[1] so a Wisconsin address on the box does not tell you where the boot was made. Read the country-of-origin line on the product page or the tag.

What "USA and globally sourced components" means

Thorogood's product page for the American Heritage 6" moc toe gives its country of origin as "Made in USA with USA and globally sourced components."[2] The boot is built in Wisconsin, but not every part of it comes from the US. Weinbrenner's leadership told Wisconsin Public Radio that the company sources components globally where it judges quality is better, but insists on US hides for the leather.[4]

That is more candid than most boot brands manage. It also means a Thorogood American Heritage boot is American-built rather than 100% American. If you need every component domestic, ask Thorogood about the specific style.

Construction

The American Heritage moc toe uses a Goodyear storm welt and a Poron comfort-cushion insole, per Thorogood's spec sheet.[2] A Goodyear welt stitches the upper and sole to a welt strip rather than gluing them, which is what lets a cobbler replace the sole when it wears out. The wedge outsole is comfortable on concrete and wears faster than a lug sole on rough ground.

Who makes Thorogood

The Weinbrenner Shoe Company was founded in Milwaukee in 1892 and is now headquartered in Merrill.[1] It has been a union factory since 1947 and employee-owned since 2000, when the previous owners sold the company to its workers.[4] Thorogood is its main brand, sold across work, uniform and fire boots. Weinbrenner also makes the Wood n' Stream and Shoe-In brands.

Where to buy

Thorogood sells direct and through work boot retailers. If you want the US-made version, confirm the series (American Heritage, an American Made uniform line, or Hellfire) and the origin line on the listing before you buy.

Sources

  1. Weinbrenner Shoe Company — About Us
  2. Thorogood — American Heritage 6" Tobacco Moc Toe (814-4200) product page
  3. Weinbrenner — Made in the USA list
  4. Wisconsin Public Radio — Making one of the coolest things in Wisconsin: Thorogood work boots (Nov 2023)

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