Lol.....I used to be in the athletic shoe business. You could always tell the USA made new balances without even looking for the "made" in USA tag. They looked like garbage and QC was terrible.
Let alone, they are pretty much just glued together in the US. (Unless things have changed since I was in the industry). At one point, I believe they had some lawsuits because they were not doing enough of the manufacturing in the US. Looks like now they are "70% of the cost of manufacturing" made in the US. So pretty much still just glued together / assembled here. You can almost get an entire shoe made in a 3rd world country, then slap a sticker on the shoe in the US, and 70% of the cost of manufacturing will be from slapping on that sticker.
Always got a kick out of people that only bought the "made in US" NB's. What a joke.
Like I said earlier, I was always a Nike fan, but the NB shoes I've been getting hold up every bit as well as the Nikes. I worked in the shoe business for several years too, and gluing is probably the most common way to put together athletic shoes. I don't recall ever seeing much stitching other than on the upper.
Edit: After rereading your post, maybe I misunderstood your point. I was thinking it was about how they were constructed, but maybe you were more concerned with the "where" than the "how". That's pretty much true about a lot of things we consider to be "made in the USA".
I've always just gotten the cross trainers. I don't actually use my athletic shoes for athletics.The upper is like a giant stitched together sock. The upper is glued to the midsole that is glued to the outsole. Sloppy terrible gluing on the US made ones. They'll wear the same either way, though.
Mileage and how they wear (speaking about athletic shoes) has much to do with the midsole material and how your foot hits the ground. What wears well for one person may wear really quick for another. For example, I only get about 100 miles out of a pair of Nike Pegasus because I blow through the midsole under the big toe. I get about 500 miles out of Nike Structures because there's a bit of a medial post that shoves my foot out and keeps me from blowing through that area under my big toe as quick.
Then you have the subject of midsole material itself. Nike is known for having very soft comfy shoes. Because they're like marshmallows, you compress the midsole to where it's unusable slightly quicker than the midsole material of some other companies (like NB, Brooks, etc...). But you have to make sure you're comparing apples and apples here. Not a lightweight flat to a heavy every day trainer or something like that.
The upper is like a giant stitched together sock. The upper is glued to the midsole that is glued to the outsole. Sloppy terrible gluing on the US made ones. They'll wear the same either way, though.
Mileage and how they wear (speaking about athletic shoes) has much to do with the midsole material and how your foot hits the ground. What wears well for one person may wear really quick for another. For example, I only get about 100 miles out of a pair of Nike Pegasus because I blow through the midsole under the big toe. I get about 500 miles out of Nike Structures because there's a bit of a medial post that shoves my foot out and keeps me from blowing through that area under my big toe as quick.
Then you have the subject of midsole material itself. Nike is known for having very soft comfy shoes. Because they're like marshmallows, you compress the midsole to where it's unusable slightly quicker than the midsole material of some other companies (like NB, Brooks, etc...). But you have to make sure you're comparing apples and apples here. Not a lightweight flat to a heavy every day trainer or something like that.
That's why I hate shopping for a true "athletic" shoe vs. one that is just worn for normal activities.
What would you recommend for a bigger guy (260ish) walking shoe? I also tend to wear out around the big toe and over pronate?
Heh, heh, heh... you said anal... heh, heh...I have to call Al Bundy for shoes how.
I have never owned NB shoes but my mother swears by them and has for years. She broke her ankle and foot back in the '80s and she says it's the only shoe that doesn't make her foot and ankle hurt.
I'll buy a couple of pairs for my son and myself to see how they do for us. I'll keep watch on where they're made and assembled as well.
Thanks for the heads up.
Dangit, we sure have some like minded anal retentive people here on INGO. No wonder I love this place.
Heh, heh, heh... you said anal... heh, heh...
Neo-Nazi's have declared New Balance the official shoe of white people. lol. New Balance called them out on their ridiculousness. Nutcases abound these days.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...w-balance-the-official-shoes-of-white-people/
The Daily Stormer LOL. Come back when you can do something other than hold color swatches to each others' forearms. Moron Nazis.Neo-Nazi's have declared New Balance the official shoe of white people. lol. New Balance called them out on their ridiculousness. Nutcases abound these days.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...w-balance-the-official-shoes-of-white-people/