- The US footwear industry is urging Trump to exempt shoes from new tariffs.
- Leading brands like Nike and Adidas are concerned about high costs and job losses.
- Brands warned that the shoe industry is "uniquely vulnerable" to the impact of Trump's trade war.
The Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America trade group (FDRA) is calling on President Donald Trump to exempt footwear from new tariffs.
More than 80 leading US footwear companies, including Nike, Adidas, and Skechers, addressed a letter to Trump urging him to protect their goods from tariffs.
"Our industry is uniquely vulnerable," the letter states.
"With some of the highest tariff rates already in place—especially on children's and low-cost shoes—these new tariffs are simply unsustainable. They won't bring manufacturing back, but they will hurt families at the register."
The letter calls the situation an "emergency that requires immediate action and attention," warning that US footwear workers and consumers will suffer, citing concerns about imminent footwear job losses, added costs for consumers, and reduced consumer spending.
The coalition of manufacturers, brands, and retailers argued that, unlike many other goods, shoes already face some of the highest import taxes in the US tariff code, with rates hitting 20%, 37.5%, or even higher, particularly on children's shoes and lower-priced footwear favored by working families.
They highlighted that many companies are already grappling with how to pay the sudden, unforeseen tariff costs on merchandise ordered months ago that is only now arriving at US ports.
"The inability to pay for these immediate and unforeseen additional tariffs places many US footwear businesses at imminent risk," they warned.
Instead of broad tariffs affecting everyday consumer goods, the footwear executives suggested a "more targeted approach" focused on strategic items would better serve national security interests without inflicting "unnecessary pain on American families."
The letter concludes with a clear request: "We respectfully ask you to remove footwear from any reciprocal tariff regime."
Adidas warned on Tuesday that the sweeping tariffs could drive up the costs of all its products in the US, as the company is reliant on imports.
"Since we currently cannot produce almost any of our products in the US, these higher tariffs will eventually cause higher costs for all our products for the US market," CEO Bjørn Gulden said.y.
