It’s getting to be that time of year when the snow starts to gather on the soil of several states across America. We don’t want you trudging through the icy slush in tennis shoes and Ugg boots.
Instead, you should be prepared with the best possible cold and snow protection for your toes and soles with USA-made snow boots. Below are all the snow boots made in America, according to our research.
Complete List of Snow Boot Brands Made in the USA
Softstar makes extremely comfy and durable glove-like shoes. Even better, all of the company’s products are designed, sourced, and manufactured in the USA! They produce everything from workout shoes to dress shoes and all products are lightweight and compactible, making them excellent for travel.
L.L. Bean is a big name in clothing and outdoor wear. The company has humble origins but now produces hundreds of different products. While not all of L.L. Bean’s products are made in the USA, they do still manufacture some of their footwear, clothing, and gloves on the East Coast.
Schnee’s boots are designed to withstand extreme conditions that only hardcore hunters might face. All of these boots are heavy duty, insulated, and produced in Montana. Schnee boots are meant to be lifetime hunting companions, and the company even offers retreads, reshaping, and repairs.
For a chance to wear “old school” leather shoes and boots, you’ll want to check out the stock at The Vintage Shoe Company, which will transport you back in time. This US-based company sells restored, pre-owned shoes of extremely high quality.
Steger Mukluks and Moccasins is a small local company that produces durable and fashionable shoes and boots inspired by Indigenous North American shoe designs.
All products are made of American materials, including moosehide, weather-treated canvas, and 9mm wool that lines the inside of the shoe and comprises the insole.
Designed and crafted in Minnesota, these boots are specially made to withstand the extreme environmental conditions of the icy north.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Snow Boots
How To Find Snow Boots Made in the USA
Snow boots made in the USA are typically made of higher quality and last longer than imported boots, but they are harder to find. You need to understand country of origin labeling, availability of raw materials, and how to shop for them. We cover all of that below.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
The first step in finding snow boots made in the USA is understanding what “made in the USA” means. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states that for a product to be “made in the USA,” “all or virtually all” of the product, from the sourcing to the manufacturing, must take place in the USA.
To get a better understanding, check out our helpful guide on shopping American made. That article covers more general tips, though. Let’s dive into snow boot manufacturing specifically.
Materials
When looking for snow boots made in the USA, you must get to know the materials used in making the product. Understanding where these materials come from is key to finding snow boots made in the USA.
Leather
Leather is used for snow boots as it is durable, breathable, and insulating. When looking for leather snow boots, we always recommend full-grain leather. Full-grain leather is of the highest quality. But if full-grain leather is out of your budget, the next step down is top-grain leather. Make sure to avoid genuine leather when looking for leather snow boots, as this type of leather is anything that is “technically leather.”
China is the world’s largest leather producer, but the United States also has a substantial leather industry. Most leather made in the USA will be cowhide, so look for that specifically instead of more exotic leathers. All in all, finding leather snow boots made in the USA shouldn’t be too difficult.
Nylon
Nylon is used in snow boots as it helps to keep the shoes water-resistant – which is important for keeping your feet dry. The USA ranks fourth in nylon production worldwide, making around 2.4 million tons of the material annually. So, finding nylon boots sourced in the USA should be pretty easy. However, China still takes the number one spot as the largest producer and exporter of nylon in the world.
Rubber
The soles of snow boots are usually made from synthetic rubber. Synthetic rubber is a common form of rubber that is made artificially rather than extracted from trees. The USA produces around 35 million tonnes of rubber every year, with two-thirds of that being synthetic. While the USA produces natural rubber, they only make up a tiny percentage of worldwide production. Thailand is the world’s largest producer of natural rubber, while the USA, China, Japan, and a few other European countries are the top producers of synthetic rubber. So synthetic rubber is your top choice if you are looking for snow boots made in the USA.
Labeling
The last step in finding USA-made snow boots is looking at the label on the product. All imported products must be labeled as such according to Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the US code.
When looking for snow boots made in the USA, you must look for the “made in the USA” label. Pay close attention to the labels, as many companies use tricky and confusing phrases to make consumers think a product is made in the USA.
For example, if a product is labeled “made in America,” it does not necessarily mean the product was made in the USA, as America includes Canada and Mexico as well. Other products can be labeled with words like “manufactured” and “designed,” which means not every part of the manufacturing process took place in the United States.
The “made in the USA” label is protected by the FTC. However, there is no pre-approval process for products to have this label. Instead, it is up to the companies to determine whether their product meets the requirements to use the label. So, as a consumer, you are responsible for reporting any companies misusing the label.
Other Tips
Here are a few more ways for you to double-check that your snow boots have been made in the USA.
Don’t Let The American Flag Fool You
Just because a product shows the American flag does not necessarily mean it has been made in the USA. Companies are allowed to use the flag on anything they are selling, as its usage is not protected in the same way that the “Made in the USA” label is. If you spot an American flag on a product, do some due diligence to ensure it isn’t a cheap trick.
Check the Website
When buying your snow boots online, there are a couple of ways to check the country of origin on a company’s website.
Read the company’s “About Us” page. Any American company would be proud to advertise the fact that their products are made in the USA, so you’ll likely find this information clearly posted on their site. Conversely, if there is no such information about where the snow boots were made, it is more than likely that they have been made elsewhere.
It is important to remember that companies are not legally required to list their products’ country of origin on any advertisement or online listings, only on the actual product itself. So if you have access to the physical product, you can easily check its country of origin directly.
Call the Company
If you are still unsure about the product you want to purchase, phone the company or supplier directly. A representative should be able to give you all the information you need.
Snow Boots Not Made in the USA
Check out the popular brands that aren’t making their snow boots in the USA that we came across in our research. We’ve included information about where their boots are being made and will update this list as we find more.
- The North Face – Mostly made in Vietnam and Cambodia, but also in India, Bangladesh, China, Romania, and Italy.
- Columbia – Footwear made in Taiwan, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Cambodia, India, and Mexico. Their Supply Chain Map provides more information.
- Hunter – Mostly made in China, but also in Indonesia, Italy, Myanmar, Turkey, the UK, and Vietnam.
- Baffin – Made in China, unless it specifies “Made in Canada” on the product page.
- Sorel – Made in Vietnam (85%), and China (10%).
- Kamik – Made in Canada using domestic and imported materials.
- Bogs – Dominican Republic and China.
- Muck Boots – Made in China.
