Here's the honest truth about American-made sneakers: the list is short. Almost every sneaker brand — including the ones with American flags in their ads — manufactures overseas. New Balance is the last major athletic brand still running factories on U.S. soil, and even they only make a fraction of their line here. We tested every genuinely American-made sneaker we could find and ranked them using our Workshop Score.
990v6 Made in USA
The 990v6 is the sneaker that made 'dad shoes' cool. I've been wearing a pair for eight months and they're the most comfortable sneakers I own. The ENCAP midsole absorbs impact without feeling mushy, and the pigskin-and-mesh upper breathes better than it looks. New Balance builds these across five New England factories with a domestic value of 70% or more. The suede panels age beautifully. At $220, it's not cheap — but I've had $150 imported sneakers fall apart in half the time.
Best for: Best overall
Check price →993 Made in USA
The 993 is the sneaker podiatrists actually recommend, and for good reason. The dual-density ABZORB cushioning system is softer than the 990v6, which makes it better if you're on your feet for 10+ hours. I wore these through a full weekend of warehouse sales and my knees didn't complain once. Less stylish than the 990v6 — this is a function-first shoe. But if comfort is the priority, nothing else on this list touches it.
Best for: Best for all-day comfort
Check price →998 Made in USA
The 998 is the sleeper in New Balance's Made in USA lineup. Same New England factories, same domestic value commitment, but $35 less than the 990v6 or 993. The silhouette is slimmer and more lifestyle-oriented — it pairs better with chinos than the chunkier models. The ABZORB cushioning is slightly less plush than the 993, but it's still leagues ahead of any imported sneaker at this price. If you want one Made in USA sneaker and don't want to break $200, this is it.
Best for: Best value
Check price →Court Classic 2.0 Low
Rancourt took two years to develop this sneaker in their Lewiston, Maine factory, and it shows. The uppers are full-grain leather from Tasman Leather Group — also in Maine — lined with Horween horsehide. The Vibram cup sole is resoleable, which means this is a sneaker you can actually get 5-10 years out of. It's a court-style shoe, so think clean and minimal. Breaks in like a good leather boot. If you're tired of disposable sneakers, this is the antidote.
Best for: Best leather sneaker
Check price →James Court Lo
Opie Way makes the most expensive sneaker on this list and I'm not going to pretend that's reasonable for everyone. But the build quality is genuinely different. Horween Chromexcel uppers, hand-stitched construction, fully recraftable — meaning they'll resole and refurbish them when they wear down. The company lost their original Asheville factory to Hurricane Helene and rebuilt in Landrum, SC. Every pair is still made by hand. At $428, you're buying a 10-year shoe.
Best for: Best premium pick
Check price →Journey II
SAS has been making shoes in San Antonio since 1976 and they've never moved an inch of production overseas. The Journey II is their most sneaker-like walking shoe — it has genuine athletic cushioning with a tripad comfort system that distributes weight evenly. It's not going to win any style awards, but your feet won't care. My dad wears SAS exclusively and has for 20 years. That kind of loyalty doesn't come from marketing.
Best for: Best walking shoe
Check price →Primal RunAmoc
Softstar is the odd one out on this list — a small family workshop in Oregon hand-cutting minimalist sneakers one pair at a time. The Primal RunAmoc has a zero-drop sole and a wide toe box that lets your foot move naturally. If you're into barefoot-style shoes, this is the best American-made option I've found. Leather uppers, Vibram soles, and made to order. Not for everyone, but the people who love these shoes really love them.
Best for: Best minimalist option
Check price →Why Are There So Few American-Made Sneakers?
Almost all sneaker production left the U.S. in the 1980s and 90s. Nike closed its last American factory in 1984. Converse moved to Asia in 2001. Even brands that wrap themselves in American imagery — looking at you, most of the boot industry — make their sneakers overseas because the tooling, materials, and labor costs make domestic athletic shoe production extremely expensive.
New Balance is the exception, and that's partly because they invested $65 million expanding their Skowhegan, Maine facility in 2025. They now have five New England factories employing roughly 1,200 workers. No other major athletic brand comes close.
The smaller brands on this list — Rancourt, Opie Way, Softstar — survive by making leather and minimalist shoes that don't require the complex machinery of athletic footwear. They're handmade in small batches, which is why they cost more.
What "Made in USA" Actually Means on Sneakers
New Balance labels their domestic shoes "Made in USA" with a note that they contain a domestic value of 70% or more. That's honest — some components like certain rubber compounds and specialty textiles aren't available from U.S. suppliers. The FTC requires "all or virtually all" domestic content for an unqualified "Made in USA" claim, and New Balance's disclosure meets that standard.
For the smaller brands — Rancourt, Opie Way, SAS, Softstar — the domestic content is closer to 90-100% because they use simpler constructions with domestic leather and Vibram soles (Vibram manufactures in the U.S.).
If you see a sneaker brand claiming "Designed in the USA" or "Assembled in the USA" — that's not the same thing. Read our guide on assembled vs. made in the USA to know the difference.
Brand Profiles
Learn more about where these brands manufacture and what else they make:
- Rancourt & Co. — Lewiston, ME