Source: New Balance / New Balance
Ever since New Balance ALLEGEDLY co-signed Donald Trump and was declared by the alt-right as the official attire of racists and white supremacists worldwide, consumers have been giving the sports brand the side eye even though the company tried to distance themselves from the hate group.
The U.S. Department of Defense on the other hand could care less about affiliations and rumors and decided to award New Balance a $17.3 million dollar contract to provide U.S. made athletic footwear for military personnel entering basic training.
The Press Herald is reporting that U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin have been fighting for years to have footwear included in a government requirement that all military personnel have American-made equipment and uniforms, and have now finally succeeded in their efforts.
In a joint statement the three government representatives stated “The Pentagon is now rightly prioritizing American workers and supporting American jobs to equip U.S. troops.”
The new contract will keep the Boston based brand’s Maine facility busy for quite some time and according to the CEO of New Balance, “is a great win for the preservation and growth of American manufacturing jobs.”
The contract will now be in compliance with the 1941 Berry Amendment, which requires that U.S. Military personnel be provided with American-made equipment and uniforms, and which until now didn’t include footwear. You gotta wonder how much some Jordan military PE’s would resell for had the Jordan brand gotten the contract.
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Photo: New Balance
