The weather is heating up soon, and it might be time for a new pair of sandals or flip-flops. You probably don’t want to buy just any old pair, though. Too few sandals are made with actual American quality and comfort in mind. That’s why we set out to find which companies are making sandals in the USA. Below are our findings, along with tons of details about each.
Complete List of Sandals Made in the USA
Island Slipper sandals are made to hold up and keep your feet comfortable on warm days. They’re hand-crafted in Hawaii, where sandals are called “slippers.” They’re all formed from rugged materials like ripstop fabric, suede, and leather to hold up well over time. They also feature a tough rubber outsole that offers a solid grip and protection. It has built-in arch support and heel cup design on most of the sandals sold by Island Slipper. These sandals would work well for the beach because they’re smooth, easy to clean, and built to last.
Okabashi is a family-owned and operated shoe business located in the small town of Burford, Georgia, and is one of the remaining 1% of US manufacturers of footwear in the United States. Their men’s and women’s sandals are durable and comfortable while remaining affordable. Their footwear is composed of recycled materials sourced from the U.S, they’re also vegan, cruelty-free, and 100% recyclable. Not only are their sandals made to be comfortable, but they will also not shrink, and the colors won’t fade, no matter how many times they’re washed. We recently featured them in our YouTube video on how to find shoes made in the USA.
Oka-B is the ideal online store to shop for women’s sandals. Not only is the footwear affordable and stylish, but it’s also built to last. There are sandals in many different shapes and styles, making it easy to find something that appeals to you. Each pair of sandals features built-in arch support, a heel cup, and a padded design for comfort. Many also use added metallic or stone accents for a touch of flair. Oka-B’s sandals are made to be thick and tough, and fashionable.
Good running sandals are tough to come by; enter the Circadian Lifestyle sandals from Earth Runners. Earth Runners really prides themselves in being American-made. When we talked to them recently, they said, “by keeping manufacturing in-house, we have complete control over design, quality control, and sourcing which is very important to us and our customers.”
Circadian Lifestyle’s sandals are lightweight, comfortable, and grippy and have a snug fit that keeps them in place throughout a run. The topsole has texture to give it traction, and the sandals feature a lightweight Vibram Gumlite outsole. They are tough enough for hard use, and feature nylon webbing reinforced with stainless steel thread to withstand plenty of force during use. The shipping time on these sandals is typically a few weeks, so order them early if you’re after some.
Use the code aar10 to get 10% off your entire order!
Gurkee’s sandals aim to blend style and function to help you stand out everywhere that you wear your sandals. Each sandal is made from Gurkee’s trademarked Comfort Twist rope – woven polypropylene carpet yarn. They’re designed to be durable, soft to the touch, and fit well. These sandals are simple to maintain and can be tossed in the washer and dryer to clean up. They can withstand chlorine and saltwater well, and the sandals are sold in many different styles and colors to suit your tastes. They are handmade right in West Virginia, and many are adjustable for a perfect fit for every foot size.
All American Clothing Co. is an online retailer that works with tons of American manufacturers, including a lot of the sandals brands we mention in this research. Their prices are pretty reasonable as well, so make sure to give them a look.
Not only do they have an old-school look to them, but the Original sandals by the Piper Sandal Company are made to be comfortable, tough leather sandals that will last you many years. They feature a smooth footpad and a moldable foam inner sole that creates a custom fit that will form closer to your foot over time (leather products typically take some time to break in). These sandals are made from rugged leather and feature a tough 3/8” leather strap built to hold. They also come with a grippy ½” Vibram sole that will help you feel surefooted no matter what you’re walking over. They’re a little expensive, but they’re made to be a quality piece of American engineering.
Waltzing Matilda USA makes leather sandals from Horween leather for men and women. They are based in Maine and have been in business since 2013. If you’re looking for a nicer pair of leather sandals, these folks have a great selection.
Shamma Sandals was founded in 2013 and is producing some great minimalist running and hiking sandals. Everything is made in their small batch workshop in Santa Cruz, and they’ve even started to make a lot of their sandals completely vegan.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Sandals
How To Find Sandals Made in the USA
You support your local businesses and manufacturers when you buy sandals made in the USA. Furthermore, US-made products tend to be made with higher quality materials and are more than their imported counterparts.
Here are our tips and tricks for finding American made sandals!
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
First, let’s define “made in the USA.” For a product to earn the “made in the USA” label, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states that “all or virtually all” of the product be made in the United States. This means everything from the materials used to the actual assembly of the product must be sourced from and take place in the USA.
Find out more about this label in our helpful “made in the USA” labels and shopping guide.
Materials
When searching for sandals made in the USA, you must first research the materials used in the product. Knowing where the materials come from is imperative to finding sandals made in the USA.
Leather
Leather quality can be highly variable. For the best quality leather sandal, you need to look for full-grain leather made from cowhide. However, quality comes with a cost, so look for top-grain leather for a good mid-range option. Make sure to avoid genuine leather, as this refers to anything that is “technically leather.”
The USA is a major leather manufacturer, so finding leather sandals made in the USA shouldn’t be too difficult. However, keep in mind that good quality leather can also come from other countries like Italy. And more affordable leather often comes from more prominent manufacturing hubs in Asia, like China.
Rubber
Synthetic rubber is a common form of rubber that is produced artificially rather than extracted from trees. Around two-thirds of the 35 million tons of rubber produced annually in the United States is synthetic. The USA produces only a tiny percentage of global natural rubber compared to Thailand, the largest producer of natural rubber in the world.
The US, China, Japan, and some European countries are the top producers of synthetic rubber. So, synthetic is your safest choice of material if you’re looking for rubber made in the USA. But it’s worth doing additional research to ensure you are truly looking at American-sourced materials.
Labeling
The second step in finding US-made sandals is to pay attention to the label. Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the US code states that all imported products must be labeled with the country of origin on the product’s labeling or the packaging – this makes it easy for you to weed out any foreign-made products. So instead, when looking for sandals made in the USA, you need to look specifically for the “made in the USA” label.
Pay careful attention to the label, as companies may use tricky phrases and words to confuse you into thinking their products are made in the USA. For example, labels like “made in America” or “made in the USA with imported materials” can easily trick consumers. Other words like “manufactured” and “designed” in the labeling can mean that not every part of the manufacturing process takes place in the United States.
It is important to know that although the “made in the USA” label is protected, there is no pre-approval process. Instead, it is up to the companies to determine whether their product meets the requirements to use the “made in the USA” label. As a consumer, it is your responsibility to report any misuse of the label.
Other Tips
Here are some more ways to help you find sandals made in the USA.
Don’t Let the American Flag Fool You
Just because you see the American flag on a label or product does not necessarily mean it is made in the USA. The usage of the flag on a label is not protected in the same way that the “made in the USA” label is, so it is best to do some more thorough research on the product before you commit to buying.
Check the Website
Online shopping is becoming the most popular way to shop these days, and the company website should have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Look at the company’s “About Us” section or the product page. If the sandals are genuinely made in the USA, the company will advertise this fact proudly, as it is a huge selling point. In contrast, if you can’t find any information about where the product is made, it is most likely that it is made overseas. Companies are not required to properly label their products’ origin on the online listings, only on the physical product itself. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the product is likely not made in the USA if you can’t find the country of origin online.
Call the Company
If you cannot find an answer online, your next best option is to phone the company or supplier directly. This way, you can ask exactly what you need to know about where the sandals are made and where the materials are sourced from.
Sandals Not Made in the USA
When doing our research, we came across several sandals brands that are not making their products in the USA. We’ve listed these brands below as well as where their sandals are being made. We’ll continue to update this list as we find more.
- Tkees – Made in Brazil.
- Emme Parsons – Made in Italy.
- Birkenstock – Made in Germany (closed-toe shoes are made in Portugal).
- Ancient Greek Sandals – Handmade in Greece.
- Teva – Made in China, El Salvador, and Vietnam.
- Reformation – Made in Brazil.
