The proposed 125% tariff hike on Chinese footwear was rolled back on May 12, but the warning was enough to force a reset across the industry. Brands are realizing that relying on international sourcing for complex products like shoes is a long-term risk they can no longer make. For many, the scare accelerated a shift already underway: moving toward faster, smarter, more resilient ways to manufacture.
Footwear is uniquely complicated when considering tariffs. A single sneaker can include over 60 parts, including foam midsoles, rubber outsoles, textiles, plastics, adhesives and metal hardware. Different materials carry different tariff rates, and shoes often cross multiple borders during production. That complexity leaves brands exposed to sudden cost increases, unpredictable delays and strained supplier relationships.
Cam Myers, CEO of the U.S.-based manufacturing company CreateMe, said the last year has been a wake-up call for many companies. “Brands are no longer just chasing margins, they’re chasing control,” he said.
One of the clearest examples of that shift is the footwear brand Dolce Vita’s launch of Holis 3D, a made-to-order collection, in April 2025. Developed in partnership with Portland-based 3D-printing company Hilos, the line is manufactured domestically, printed and assembled within 72 hours of an order. For Dolce Vita, it offers both creative freedom and a practical solution to increasingly volatile global trade conditions.
“We’re thrilled about the prospect of offering consumers the ability to shop online and have their shoes designed, manufactured and packaged in just 72 hours,” said Kerry Norlin, president of Dolce Vita. “The key economic advantage lies in more efficient inventory management, helping to reduce the waste that occurs when our forecasts don’t align with demand.”
According to Hilos co-founder Elias Stahl, the collaboration gave both sides room to explore new applications for 3D-printed footwear. “We reinvented one of Dolce Vita’s classic styles for localized production, blending heritage craft with advanced technology,” he said. “We even developed custom colors just for them.”
While the Holis 3D project had been in development long before the most recent wave of tariff changes, Steve Madden, which owns Dolce Vita, confirmed the rollout aligns with broader moves across the company to diversify sourcing and minimize exposure. On the company’s first-quarter 2025 earnings call on May 7, CEO Ed Rosenfeld said the company had reduced China-based sourcing for shoes and accessories from 71% in 2024 to just 5% for fall 2025. Mexico and Brazil are now playing a much larger role in production, offering faster turnaround times and fewer geopolitical risks than traditional hubs like Vietnam and Cambodia.
For some brands, the solution isn’t a partnership or a platform, but instead ownership. Larroudé — the New York-based luxury footwear brand founded in 2020 by Marina Larroudé and her husband, Ricardo — became fully vertically integrated in October 2024. The company now owns and operates a 500-person factory in Brazil that handles design, development, production and distribution for its wholesale and DTC orders.
“I would not want to be in my competitors’ shoes right now,” said Marina Larroudé. “Because we own our factory, we’re able to scale quickly, maintain quality, and avoid the panic around tariffs and delays.” She added that owning the facility gives the brand cost control, more creative flexibility and the ability to avoid overproduction. “We can produce what we need, when we need it. We’re not stuck with unsold inventory or waiting on someone else’s timeline.”
That ned for control was echoed by CreateMe’s Myers, who believes the only way to achieve true resilience is through automation. His company has developed a patented system that eliminates sewing altogether. Instead, footwear and clothing are assembled using robotic adhesive bonding with thermoreversible glues that can later be deactivated for disassembly and recycling. The approach supports closed-loop manufacturing and dramatically shortens lead times.
“Reshoring can’t simply mean relocating the same broken model,” said Myers. “Rather than rebuild factories reliant on sewing machines and labor-intensive processes, we can design smarter systems from the start.” CreateMe’s model allows apparel brands to go from design to delivery in five to 30 days, compared to the 90-day cycles standard in offshore production. “Tariffs may be the external pressure, but innovation is the internal unlock,” he said.
Other performance and lifestyle footwear brands are responding with design innovation. In October 2023, On Running introduced its Cloudprime prototype featuring a spray-on monofilament TPU upper that requires no stitching and reduces overall waste. At the World Retail Congress in London, On’s chief commercial officer, Britt Olsen, said the company is aiming to roll out Cloudprime to consumers this year. Nike’s ISPA Link Axis, released in July 2023, meanwhile, uses no glue and only two interlocking components designed for easy disassembly. Adidas and Allbirds have also tested simplified construction methods through recyclable and knit-to-fit models that support faster, more local production cycles.
“Brands used to think of sustainability as a cost,” said Myers. “Now it’s a competitive advantage.”
