Where Are Brooks Shoes Made? 9 Countries Revealed

Choosing a running shoe out of thousands of available brands in the market can be cumbersome at times.

Getting the best quality and comfort at the best price can be tedious. Brooks Shoes dominates the footwear market in this regard.

With so much popularity, people often ask, Where are Brooks Shoes Made? Who makes them? Let’s find out where Brooks shoes are manufactured.

Where are Brooks Shoes made?

Most Brooks Shoes are made in China and Vietnam. The company officially has contracts with 21 contract factories in around 9 countries worldwide.

These countries include the United States, Mexico, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Taiwan, and Jordan.

The mass exodus of Brooks products, however, comes from Asian countries. The company employs more than 23,000 individuals. Apart from footwear, they also design and manufactures clothing and accessories.

The brand has won multiple awards for its high-performance shoes over the past couple of years.

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Let’s have a closer look at Brooks’s rich history and how the company manufactures shoes in its manufacturing facilities worldwide.

Brooks History:

Brooks was founded in 1914, around 108 years ago in Philadelphia. Jon Brooks Goldenberg founded the company, after which the company is named. In 1914, the firm started its operations as a broad range of shoe and sports manufacturers.

Today, the company is officially known as Brooks Sports Inc. or otherwise Brooks Running and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

The brand originally got its name in 1920 when the Quaker Shoe company was re-branded as Brooks Shoe Manufacturing Inc. Bathing shoes, ballet slippers, and others were sold under the brand name.

In 1958, John’s brother, Michael Goldenberg, became the sole owner of Brooks Manufacturing Company.

The 1970s were the period of Brooks flourishing. They worked with world-class athletes to design top-notch shoes with better flexibility, comfort, cushion, and durability.

Brooks shoes became so popular that the brand lined up with the top three selling brands in the US by the end of this decade.

In 1981, due to unfortunate events, the company filed for bankruptcy and was purchased by Wolverine World Wide in an Auction. Fast forward in 1987, the company launched “Brooks for Women.”

During the 1990s, they launched Beast and Adrenaline GTS, which became one of the all-time best-selling shoes. In 2001, its management decided to cut down 50% of their product line to focus more on running shoes and related technology.

Russell Athletic purchased Brook Shoes in 2004. In less than 2 years, Brooks Shoes was purchased by Berkshire Hathaway’s subsidiary firm, Fruit of the Loom in 2006.

Brooks sneakers were selected as the Best Running Shoes of 2017. In the same year, the company announced to launch limited-edition shoes for Special Olympics in the US in 2018.

Today, Berkshire Hathaway is still the parent company of Brooks.

9 Manufacturing Countries of Brooks Shoes:

Let’s dig deep into how and where Brooks Shoes are manufactured:

Manufacturing in China:

Frist country that comes to mind when anyone thinks of manufacturing in China. China has always been the preferred place for all multi-national organizations to manufacture their products.

As for other major brands having bulk operations in China, such as Nike and Adidas, most Brooks footwear also comes from China.

The sole reason we have been able to find out about this is the inexpensive labor and bulk operations that are effectively and efficiently carried out in the country.

With over six factories in the country, China tops the list for Brooks manufacturing. Brooks clothing, shoes, and accessories are manufactured side by side in these factories.

The trade war between the US and China has long caused unrest among corporate companies. In 2019, the then President, Donald Trump, announced to increase tariffs on shoe imports from 20 to 45 percent.

This made the company take tough decisions, and the company announced to move out its majority production from China to Vietnam.

Earlier, China accounted for more than 50% of Brooks products. But this decision forced to shift mass production from China. Still, some versions of Brooks shoes are still made in China.

Manufacturing in Vietnam:

As discussed earlier, the prevailing unrest between the US and China forced the company to move its production to Vietnam.

Vietnam, since this incident, has been the center of attention for manufacturers around the world. Some corporate businesses have already been present there for decades.

Brooks also shifted their production of footwear to Vietnam ever since. The company gets its shoes manufactured by third-party manufacturers present in Vietnam.

As per reports, there are more than ten factories in Vietnam where Brooks products are manufactured. Vietnam has proved to be a suitable location for production.

Today, more than half of Brooks shoes are reported to have been manufactured in Vietnam.

The company’s CEO, James M Weber, sees Vietnam as a growth opportunity and plans to further expand its operations on a long-term basis.

Manufacturing in the Rest of the World:

A minute fraction of Brooks footwear manufacturing comes from Taiwan and El Salvador. Apart from it, Brooks also manufactures in the United States, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Mexico, and Jordan.

But these are used to produce clothing items and accessories for the company.

Are Brooks Good Running Shoes?

A big fat Yes! Brooks offers some of the best running shoes available in the market today. I used them personally during running and other sports activities and found them very comfortable.

Brooks shoes are considered one of the most durable running shoes, but this also depends on the model you’re using. They are lightweight, flexible, and provide good support.

They are also popular among gym enthusiasts and adventurous people. They provide excellent traction and grip on the surface. This is an important feature in both categories.

Another feature of Brooks Shoes is that they are also very breathable and keep your feet dry. This is a major plus for all those who are running long distances.

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Conclusion: Where are Brooks Shoes Made?

Brooks is among the top-notch brand in the running industry. They have been making quality running shoes for quite some time now. They do not compromise on style or design, which is evident from their designs and quality.

The company has been in the business for decades and has established operations in more than 60 countries. Every year the brand issues a corporate performance summary report discussing where its products are made.

Consumers praise the firm because of being socially responsible and sensitive to the environment. Brooks cares for its labor and product sustainability. The corporation is also working to lessen its manufacturing’s environmental impact.

Brooks booster club is another thing to be mentioned in the company’s social works. In conclusion, Brooks shoes provide value for money, no matter where their shoes are manufactured.