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ever before. Our country’s identity was forged and stitched by generations of makers, but over our short history, that identity has changed. Now, we’re primarily consumers. The professions that built our nation have been shipped offshore to fuel our propensity for product. Its no secret we consume at an alarming pace — imports of foreign goods topped $2.37 trillion last year — surpassing all but the entire European Union with our buying habits.
The good news is, Americans tend to still side with the home team, when given the chance. Instead of competing on price, our homegrown goods trumpet craftsmanship, engineering and pride as driving principles behind better products. There’s a sense of both pride when reading Made in USA on a shirt tag, branded deep into a wallet or on the inside of a leather boot. Here’s where you can find the best brands still forging and stitching away.
Red Wing, MN | Est. 1905 – For over a century, some of the world’s toughest boots have called Red Wing, Minnesota home. Originally designed to handle the harsh conditions of the mining, logging and forestry industries, Red Wing’s boots also offered a comfortable footbed — a rarity in 1905. Today, the Red Wing Heritage collection continues those founding traditions with a line of footwear still made to the same standards, all handcrafted in Minnesota. redwingshoes.com
Rockford, MI | Est. 1883 – The shell cordovan (horsehide) leather used to create the original Wolverine 1,000 Mile boot was developed using a tanning process unique to the Rockford, Michigan-based company. Softer and more lissome than the competition of its day, that leather was also incredibly durable. Little has changed. There is a supple joy to sliding your foot into a new Wolverine 1,000 Mile boot, knowing the many miles to come. wolverine.com
Greenwich, CT | Est. 1758 – Each pair of handcrafted shoes produced in Walk-Over’s Martinsburg, Pennsylvania headquarters is subject to a seven-stage process. This helps ensure that none of the over 1,000 stitches lands out of place. Walk-Over produces everything from chukkas to wingtips, each model a polished example of the pride and workmanship of its 350 employees. walkover.com
Ventura, CA | Est. 2012 – Deeply entrenched in the surf and motorcycle culture of its Southern California home, Iron & Resin craft apparel designed around the “one-off” philosophy so common to their inspiration. T-shirts are even printed one at a time. Their most recent collection is designed in homage to the great documentarian Bruce Brown, whose films The Endless Summer and On Any Sunday shaped what Iron & Resin is all about. ironandresin.com
Santa Ana, CA | Est. 1961 – Birdwell made their mark on beach culture in the ’60s when lifeguards working the towers of Newport Beach came looking for rescue-ready duds. Innovative two-ply materials also saved surfers from the sting of reef rash long before household brands were sponsoring events around the globe. The California-based operation is still going strong and boasts seamstresses with 40-year tenures. birdwell.com
San Francisco, CA | Est. 2009 – Tellason prides itself on producing some of the finest selvedge denim to ever come out of denim’s American home, San Francisco. Every detail is scrutinized, and the pocketing, threads, buttons, rivets and leather patches adorning each of their six styles are all born in the USA. tellason.com
Kansas City, MO | Est. 2009 – Founded by one of GQ‘s top menswear designers of 2013, Matt Baldwin’s Baldwin Denim has concentrated on a tailored approach to their Kansas City cut-and-sewn clothing. While their interests have expanded, their roots lie in jeans. With four cuts available in both raw and washed finishes, Baldwin has developed a loyal following of fashion-forward customers. baldwindenim.com
Raleigh, NC | Est. 2007 – Based in their namesake city of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh Denim has been making waves in jeans since their inception in 2007. Their products are cut and stitched without the aid of automated assistance — the old-school way, as they should be, by a hard-working team of expert American jean smiths. raleighworkshop.com
Seattle, WA | Est. 1897 – Terms like Tin Cloth and Mackinaw wool may seem alien were it not for Filson. Proudly made in Seattle, Washington, Filson has cemented a reputation for constructing consumer goods that can stand the test of time, almost welcoming punishment and mistreatment. Their bags, luggage and packs continue to exceed expectation whether in the backcountry or being kicked along a TSA lineup. filson.com
Denver, CO | Est. 2008 – Outdoor adventures are a rite of passage for Coloradans. Their backyard contains some of America’s most picturesque and challenging landscapes. No surprise, then, that Colorado’s Topo Designs looked to compliment that lifestyle with their locally made products. Created using premium fabrics and leathers, Topos are up for anything. topodesigns.com
Providence, RI | Est. 2009 – “Perfection” is a term that gets tossed around far too often these days. But for the men and women working in Lotuff Leather’s New England workshops, perfection is the ultimate goal. The vegetable-tanned, natural and uncorrected hides are cut and prepared by hand to deliver an exquisitely crafted, luxurious legacy product — which Lotuff backs with a lifetime warranty. lotuffleather.com
Oregon City, OR | Est. 1988 – Originally founded in California, Benchmade soon made the trek North to Clackamas, Oregon, where it has become a staple in EDC accoutrement. Early investments in new and unique tooling and laser machinery have allowed Benchmade to maintain in-house development for their world-class knives, and while the pocketknife has become nearly ubiquitous, Benchmade still makes some that stand apart from the rest. benchmade.com
Randolph, MA | Est. 1972 – The story behind Randolph Engineering is a fine example of the American dream still coming true in the later part of the 20th century. Founded by newly landed Polish immigrants in 1972 in Randolph, Massachusetts, the Waszkiewicz and Zaleski families continue to produce incredibly crafted eyewear that exudes iconic American style; just ask any flyboy. randolphusa.com
Detroit, MI | Est. 2012 – Few companies, if asked today, would suggest Detroit, Michigan as an ideal place to set up up shop. But Shinola isn’t your average company. Shinola prides itself on being a beacon of rebirth in Motown, and their timepieces are hand assembled in the Argonaut building; their bicycles, whose frames are manufactured in Wisconsin, are also built in the rear of their flagship store, just off of famed Woodward Avenue.shinola.com
The good news is, Americans tend to still side with the home team, when given the chance. Instead of competing on price, our homegrown goods trumpet craftsmanship, engineering and pride as driving principles behind better products. There’s a sense of both pride when reading Made in USA on a shirt tag, branded deep into a wallet or on the inside of a leather boot. Here’s where you can find the best brands still forging and stitching away.
Footwear
Red Wing Shoe Company
Wolverine Boots
Walk-Over Shoes
Also Notable
Chippewa Boots | Chippewa Falls, WI | Est. 1901
Alden of New England | Brockton, MA | Est. 1884
Danner | Portland, OR | Est. 1932
Oak Street Bootmakers | Chicago, IL | Est. 2009
LL Bean | Freeport, ME | Est. 1912
Allen-Edmonds Port Washington, WI | Est. 1922
Apparel
Iron & Resin
Schott NYC
New York, NY | Est. 1913 – Ever since Brando donned the Schott Perfecto jacket in The Wild One, it has been an icon of American culture and style. Schott revolutionized practicality when it became the first jacket manufacturer to use a zipper on their outerwear, and the New York City-based manufacturer has enjoyed over a century of success since then, one handcrafted garment at a time. schottnyc.comBirdwell Beach Britches
Also Notable
Spiewak 1904 | New York, NY | Est. 1904
American Giant | San Francisco, CA | Est. 2011
Ebbets Field Flannels | Seattle, WA | Est. 1988
Hamilton Shirts | Houston, TX | Est. 1883
Oxxford Clothes | Chicago, IL | Est. 1916
Taylor Stitch | San Francisco, CA | Est. 2008
Vanson Leathers | Fall River, MA | Est. 1997
Whiskey Grade | Cleveland, OH | Est. 2010
Dickies 1922 | Fort Worth, TX | Est. 1918
FairEnds | Amagansett, NY & St. Ignacius, MT | Est. 2011
Denim
Tellason
Baldwin Denim
Raleigh Denim
Also Notable
Imogene & Willie | Nashville, TN | Est. 2009
Rag & Bone | New York, NY | Est. 2002
Rising Sun | Los Angeles, CA | Est. 2004
Jean Shop | New York, NY | Est. 2004
Bags
Filson
Topo Designs
Lotuff Leather
Also Notable
JBird Collective | Portland, OR | Est. 2013
Billykirk | Los Angeles, CA | Est. 1999
Duluth Pack | Duluth, MN | Est. 1882
Goruck | Jacksonville Beach, FL | Est. 2008
Ghurka | Norwalk, CT | Est. 1975
Defy Bags | Chicago, IL | Est. 2008
Mission Workshop | San Francisco, CA | Est. 2009
Kletterwerks | Bozeman, MT | Est. 1975
EDC
Benchmade
Randolph Engineering
Shinola
Also Notable
Zippo | Bradford, PA | Est. 1932
Tanner Goods | Portland, OR | Est. 2006
Leatherman | Portland, OR | Est. 1983
Field Notes | Chicago, IL | Est. 2007
Buck Knives | Post Falls, ID | Est. 1902
Fisher Pens | Boulder City, NV | Est. 1953
Karas Kustoms | Mesa, AZ | Est. 2013
via Gear Patrol
