WASHINGTON, DC, July 13, 2026 – The United States Footwear Manufacturers Association is pleased to welcome Rocky Brands as its newest manufacturer member, giving the association even more momentum in its push for greater investments and incentives that strengthen the domestic market for military footwear.
The company, founded in 1932, is a powerhouse footwear leader that now includes signature brands like Rocky, The Original Muck Boot Company, XTRATUF, Durango, Georgia Boot, and many more, with distribution centers in Ohio and Nevada and a manufacturing center in Puerto Rico.
“Rocky Brands is playing a leading role in helping to reshore more footwear production in the United States,” said USFMA Executive Director Bill McCann. “Having them in our growing coalition of manufacturers, suppliers, and research universities further demonstrates that our industry is making huge strides and that ‘Made in the USA’ is a new reality, not a pipe dream.”
“Rocky Brands is eager to play an even greater role in rejuvenating the American footwear industry, including when it comes to outfitting the armed forces with Berry Amendment-compliant combat boots,” said Rocky Brands CEO Jason Brooks. “By joining USFMA we are making clear that we have the industry leading products, the capacity, and the determination to recharge American footwear production and the good-paying jobs that come with it.”
Rocky Brands joins USFMA as Congress is moving this year to enact legislation that will offer greater incentives for U.S. footwear companies and suppliers to make additional investments in their domestic operations.
Steps include: requiring that optional boots that are not Berry Amendment compliant and sold at military exchanges meet durability, quality, and compliance requirements; creating a pilot program to subsidize the purchase of Berry Amendment-compliant boots, thus reducing soldiers’ selection of cheaper, foreign-made alternatives; and directing that the Department of War to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the textile and footwear industrial base, including supply chain capacity, surge capability, and barriers to domestic production. Congress is also considering authorizing $50 million for a Textile Manufacturing Program that would support domestic manufacturing.
“We do a meaningful amount of business for the military, including direct sales of Berry compliant footwear and boots that are available for purchase in military exchanges,” said Tom Robertson, Rocky Brands COO. “We have meaningful capacity already and we can ramp this up with the right demand signal. Being part of USFMA helps us drive the message to Congress that there is more domestic capacity to meet the footwear needs of our troops with high-quality footwear that is made in America, with American labor.”
“Rocky Brands is already fueling our efforts to build the resilient supply chains we need for critical textiles that remain too dependent on foreign sources,” added McCann. “They will help us take our efforts to the next level.”