Amendment gives boost to local footwear manufacturing (Armed forces/athletic shoes)

Amendment gives boost to local footwear manufacturing

A proposal in Congress to require athletic shoes bought by new members of the armed services be totally made domestically could add 200 or more jobs locally.

The proposal, by Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, D-Lowell, and Congressman Mike Michaud, D-Maine, would make athletic footwear used for basic training paid for with allowances of public funds to new recruits follow the same requirement as most other military clothing and cloth-based equipment.

New Balance, the Boston-based athletic shoe and clothing manufacturer and its largest plant in Lawrence, stands to benefit as one of two American footwear companies that can offer products that comply with military regulations and the domestic-origin requirement.

“It is time for the Department of Defense to treat athletic footwear like every other uniform item, including boots, and buy them from American manufacturers,” Tsongas said. “DoD has spent approximately $180 million on the athletic footwear cash allowance program to date, which is money that could have gone to American jobs and manufacturing.”

http://www.eagletribune.com/latestnews/x218351309/Amendment-gives-boost-to-local-footwear-manufacturing