New Balance Pitches Footwear Product Ahead of DoD Sourcing Talks
New Balance CEO Rob DeMartini floated a 100 percent American-made footwear prototype on Sept. 3 that he says fits the criteria for Department of Defense military recruit purchases. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, has repeatedly pushed DoD to comply fully with…
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the Berry Amendment, a law that prohibits DoD funding to obtain products made outside the U.S. (see 14081819). DoD is scheduled to meet on Sept. 4 with domestic athletic manufacturers to discuss footwear purchases. “We’ve been working for over five years to build a product, made in America, that would meet all the needs of American servicemen and women,” said DeMartini on Fox News, adding that the shoe is technologically competitive with the most expensive running shoes on the global market. “Every part, every component, every piece of this shoe is made and sourced from supplies in the United States.” New Balance does not want an “earmark” or “specific contract,” and will market the prototype’s inputs to other U.S. manufacturers, said DeMartini.