December 9, 2025 Press Release

FDRA Urges President Trump to Eliminate Footwear Tariffs to Lower Costs for American Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) sent a letter to President Trump applauding his recent actions to reduce tariffs on food products and urging him to apply the same reasoning to footwear tariffs.

The letter highlights that footwear tariffs remain among the highest of any consumer product category, averaging more than 12%, with some children’s shoes facing combined rates of up to 87.5%. FDRA stressed that these tariffs do not protect U.S. jobs or national security because shoes are not manufactured domestically at scale. Instead, they inflate prices on an essential product every family must purchase year after year.

“Reducing or eliminating footwear tariffs would be a strong, pro-family decision consistent with your recent actions to lower costs without jeopardizing American workers or national security. We stand ready to work with your administration to ensure tariff policy supports families and businesses rather than adding to their financial burden.”

Read the full letter here: FDRA Letter to Trump Administration – November 2025

Recent Coverage on Footwear and Inflation Trends:

About FDRA: FDRA is governed and directed by footwear executives and is the only trade organization focused solely on the footwear industry. Serving the full footwear supply chain, it boosts its members’ bottom lines through innovative products, training, consulting on footwear design and development, sourcing and compliance, trade and customs, advocacy, and consumer and sales trend analysis for shoe retailers around the world. FDRA supports 500 companies and brands worldwide, representing 97% of the total U.S. footwear industry.

To schedule an interview with Matt Priest on the state of the footwear industry, please email fdracomms@cgagroup.com.