Footwear tariffs are the largest inhibitor of design innovation and profit for the footwear industry. These regressive and prohibitive duties were established in the 1930s and average over 11% compared to just 1.3% for all consumer goods, and can can reach as high as an astonishing 67.5%. These duties raise costs on consumers and hinder U.S. footwear job creation…
The federal tariff code (USHTS) for footwear is more than 150 lines full of technical details, there are 436 different ways to categorize footwear imports, AND the cliff notes for the U.S. tariff code for footwear is longer than the code itself – causing the industry to enormous amounts of time and money…
Footwear sourcing has become increasingly complex, as footwear manufacturing is shifting around the globe. Social compliance and factory performance issues also continue to be a priority for the footwear industry. As a result, FDRA has developed robust sourcing and compliance…
The continued safety of footwear is a top issue for FDRA and the entire footwear industry. FDRA is the industry’s leading association on product safety action and intelligence. It helps its members understand and adapt to the changing landscape of…
Americans spent $76.9 billion on shoes in 2020… There are roughly 171,000 footwear workers nationwide… Pay for employees in U.S. shoe stores averaged over $20.00 per hour in 2020… The industry is currently facing retail challenges like other industries: how to adapt to rapid consumer demand shifts from the pandemic, discounting and how to develop and implement speed to market strategies. Amid all the changes, footwear retailers continue to thrive…
Shoe sustainability includes shoe design, development, manufacturing, distribution, and selling processes that minimize negative environmental impacts, conserve energy and natural resources, are safe for employees, communities and consumers, and are economically sound. Visit our Shoe Sustainability site that educates, empowers, and activates the footwear industry.
Footwear Innovation is the hub for all things footwear innovation. Check our site often for the latest news and information on design and development, wearable technology, materials and production, retail, and upcoming events highlighting footwear innovation.
Protecting Footwear IP Globally—FDRA proactively surveys the global footwear counterfeit landscape and advises the U.S. Government on key countries and issues of concern. Visit our Fight Footwear Fakes site to educate on shoe intellectual property issues and eradicate counterfeit footwear.