The Journal. Made in America? Shoe Companies Already Tried That.
113 snips
May 8, 2025 
Jon Emont, a WSJ journalist specializing in the sneaker industry, shares insights on Nike's past attempts to manufacture sneakers in Mexico. He highlights the complex challenges companies face when trying to shift production away from Asia, including tariff implications and automation issues. Emont discusses the hurdles of integrating robots with traditional manufacturing processes, especially the difficulty of adapting automation to varying sneaker designs. The conversation also underscores the ongoing struggle for U.S. production amidst high costs and labor shortages.
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Nike's Ambitious Mexico Factory
- Nike set up a sneaker factory in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2015 aiming to produce tens of millions of shoes by 2023.
- The project hoped to automate shoe manufacturing to reduce labor but faced tough challenges.
Material Challenges for Automation
- Shoe materials are flexible and temperature-sensitive, complicating automation efforts.
- Machines require exact precision, unlike adaptable human workers, making automation difficult.
Automation Hindered by Design Changes
- Nike struggled months to automate attaching the swoosh to shoes due to design changes.
- Constant design updates forced reengineering automation, unlike flexible human workers.