New Balance has landed a new defense supply contract after revealing that it will outfit the United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps with its Made in USA 0430 shoe.
The Boston-based sportswear maker announced the move on Friday in a three-year deal through the Defense Logistics Agency reportedly worth up to $58.86 million that is set to begin in 2027.
San Antonio Shoe received a separate contract and was awarded up to $98 million for a comparable footwear vendor agreement under the government’s Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity procurement program.
Both deals are set to run through September 2029 and the yet-to-be released New Balance 0430 model is expected to be a similar shoe to the 950v2 that the company engineered and manufactured to comply with the Berry Amendment that specifies defense spending must be allocated to products made entirely within the U.S.
“New Balance is proud to have been awarded this contract to provide our U.S. service members with our specialized Made in USA 0430 athletic footwear for basic training,” Kevin McCoy, vice president for MADE at New Balance said. “This opportunity reflects our long-standing commitment to American manufacturing and producing high-quality, performance footwear crafted by our New England Makers.”
The company was previously awarded a $17.3 million defense supply contract in 2017 for more than 120,000 pairs of shoes in a deal that lasted a year and a half.
Maine senator Susan Collins said the shoe would be produced at a New Balance facility in Skowhegan in her home state as part of a purchase that could reach 540,000 pairs with a minimum purchase of 22,000 pairs annually during the three-year pact.
“Maintaining a strong American footwear supply chain is important to our national security and helps ensure that our servicemembers have access to the best equipment when they need it most,” Collins said. “I have worked closely with New Balance for years to support American footwear manufacturing and to strengthen the domestic industrial base that our military depends on.”
