WASHINGTON, July 2, 2025 – The United States Footwear Manufacturers Association is pleased to join with more than two dozen U.S. manufacturers and trade groups to support passage of the bipartisan Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act.
The legislation, introduced today by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Mike Bost (R-IL-12) and Jared Golden (D-ME-02), will expand current uniform regulations to ensure the combat boots worn by the U.S. military are 100% made and sourced in the USA to comply with the Berry Amendment.
Department of Defense regulations permit soldiers to purchase foreign-made boots that mimic the appearance of regulation boots but fall far short in quality and durability. This loophole leaves troops vulnerable to injury and undermines a domestic supply chain that is critical for national security.
In the event of a major conflict, the 2024 CAMOLAND Clothing and Textile Industrial Base Wargame Report, commissioned by the Defense Logistics Agency, found that the current clothing and textile supply chain would be too fragile to meet demand.
“The BOOTs Act closes a gap in the Berry Amendment by requiring all military footwear sold through Department of Defense exchanges to be domestically sourced,” said USFMA Executive Director Bill McCann, who also sent a letter of support to lawmakers. “Currently, foreign-made boots undermine military readiness and disadvantage American manufacturers, weakening the U.S. supply chain.”
“This commonsense change,” McCann continued, “ensures uniform consistency, reduces confusion for service members, and supports the domestic industrial base as manufacturers rebuild capacity.”
“USFMA thanks Sens. Duckworth, King and Collins, and Reps. Budzinski, Bost, and Golden, for their leadership in enhancing military readiness,” McCann added. “This bill will also go a long way in strengthening domestic production of the yarns, foams, fabrics, and finished products that are also critical for national preparedness and create good paying jobs here at home that come with it.”
USFMA looks forward to working with Congress and more than two dozen U.S. manufacturers in the American Combat Boot Alliance to build support for the BOOTs Act to ensure it passes this Congress.
“ACBA endorses the BOOTs Act and strongly encourages your colleagues in both the House and Senate to support and approve this legislation to strengthen service branch uniform regulations, improve the readiness and morale of servicemembers, and sustain domestic manufacturing and compliance with the Berry Amendment,” the alliance wrote in letter of support to lawmakers.