Work boots are designed to withstand varying work conditions and activities. As you shop around for the best work boot options, you’ll come across several options for made-in-the-USA footwear.
Georgia Boot is one of the brands that will pop up in your search, featuring styles manufactured in the USA using materials sourced locally and internationally.
The brand has roots in Atlanta, Georgia, but there needs to be more information on where most of its products are manufactured. In this article, we’ll get to know the brand Georgia Boot a bit and set the record straight on whether all Georgia Boot boots are made in the USA.
Georgia Boot – a Brief History
Georgia Boot began its story in 1937 in the Southern United States – specifically in Atlanta, Georgia, where the company initially operated under the name Georgia Shoe Manufacturing Company.
The company’s first offering, a tough farm boot, became popular for its reliable, practical features.
As the years passed, the company started gaining recognition for manufacturing hard-wearing and comfortable boots.
Georgia Boot was the first work boot manufacturer to incorporate the comfort level of sports footwear into its products, thanks to the proprietary Comfort Core Technology.
This advanced technology is still used today, cementing the reputation of Georgia Boot as the producer of some of the most comfortable work boots in the market.
These boots are also preferred by many because of their rugged good looks and versatility, making them ideal footwear partners on and off the job.
Are Georgia Boots Made in the USA?
Not all Georgia Boot boots are made in the USA.
On the company’s website, there is a category named “USA”, which the text states are manufactured in the country using components from different sources.
This specific category has only five work boots – one of which has a composite safety toe – and one other product, a cotton crew sock.
Based on this information from the manufacturer’s site, it’s safe to presume that most of the boots by Georgia Boot are produced outside the US.
The company has several manufacturing facilities in Asia (including China) and other countries, such as the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
What Types of Georgia Boots Are Made in the USA?
On Georgia Boot’s website, 5 work boots are being offered under the made-in-the-USA category.
Four have soft toe profiles featuring Goodyear Welt construction for improved water resistance and reliable durability.
They also come with flexible outsoles (made with PU and wedge cork) that support the feet’s natural motion. In addition, these boots are also fitted with memory foam insoles for enhanced foot comfort that can take on hours of continuous walking at work.
Three of these soft-toe boots use the exclusive SPR leather that makes them “barnyard-proof”, offering strong resistance to sulfuric acid, caustic potash, caustic alkali, potassium phosphate, and calcium hydroxide.
The last Georgia Boot product in the USA-made category is a logger boot with composite toe protection and an electrical hazard-safe design.
It uses the exclusive Georgia Waterproof System to shield the feet against wetness.
The exclusive Comfort Core System works on this boot’s insole, with ample padding (on the tongue) to keep the feet comfortable in challenging settings.
Like the soft toe styles, this safety toe logger boot showcases Goodyear Welt construction for long-lasting performance.
Personal Testing Experience
Here’s our experience using a Georgia Boot product that wasn’t made in the US, but still performed superbly. The Georgia Boot Men’s Hammer 8-Inch Boot was equipped with steel toe caps to defend the toes against injuries. It also had an internal metatarsal guard that excited the protection, shielding the top of the foot against compression and impact threats. We appreciated how the boot used the exclusive Comfort Core technology for hours of comfortable walking, with a steel shank supporting the arches and increasing stability. It also used a special Air-Flow system to maintain the foot’s fresh, dry environment. Electrical hazard protection greatly reduced the risk of electrocution with accidental exposure to open circuits. Meanwhile, the Goodyear Welt construction made the boot tough enough to withstand demanding work conditions much longer. This boot wasn’t waterproof, though, and felt a bit heavy – but the intensified toe and foot protection more than made up for the extra bulk.
Conclusion
Georgia Boot, as a company, started its journey in the Southern United States, but not all of its products are made locally. This may confuse some as it’s easy to assume that the brand only offers USA-made products, given the “Georgia” part of its name. However, it’s worth noting that Georgia Boot has a special category of made-in-the-USA work boots, although there are currently only five work boots in this lineup. These boots are made in the US using materials obtained locally and from other international sources. With this information, we can safely conclude that the brand’s products are constructed mostly outside the US, in manufacturing facilities in different countries.
FAQ's
- Does the brand’s USA-made boots use only locally sourced materials?
- No, Georgia Boot’s made-in-the-USA boots use materials from various sources, locally and outside the US.
- What’s unique about the SPR leather that’s used in USA-made Georgia Boot boots?
- SPR leather is thrice as strong and 2.5 more abrasion-resistant than regular leather. It’s also highly resistant to certain acids and barnyard chemicals, making the boots suitable for barnyard work and other activities exposed to harsh substances and abrasion.
- Can you tell if a Georgia Boot product is made in the USA just by looking at it?
- Yes. Georgia Boot’s made-in-the-USA boots are equipped with a tiny American flag on the upper, easily noticeable at first glance.
- Are the USA-made boots by Georgia Boot available in different colors?
- No, they’re offered in only one color – brown.
Luke Davis
Luke is the lead author on WorkWear.org. He has a vast experience in construction engineering and project management in California and Texas, where he had the chance to put to test a wide range of safety boots and PPE. Outside work, Luke is an avid hiker and not surprisingly a DIY fanatic!
