9 Best American Made Boots: Tested and Reviewed

When I want quality craftsmanship, I look right in my backyard.

While 98% of shoes in America are made overseas, there are still a few brands making boots the good ol’ fashioned way here at home.

Here are nine of my favorite USA made boots crafted by brands that support American families, jobs, and are worth every penny for their rugged durability. 

How Did I Come Up With My List?

Over the years, I’ve worn over 100 pairs of boots, and I’ve spent hundreds of hours researching the best boots and brands, both foreign and domestic. 

I’ve come across several brands that do an incredible job making boots, some of which are made in Indonesia, China, Spain, England, etc. 

A common sentiment I hear running the BootSpy YouTube channel (55,000 subscribers and counting) is, where are the American made boots? 

While USA-made boots are a rare breed, I’ve tested the top brands myself—the others on this list I compiled from recommendations made by our YouTube community and those hundreds of hours of research. 

My Recommendations

My Top Pick: Thursday Vanguard

The Thursday Boot Co Vanguard takes the top spot based on the quality of materials, construction, and the value you’re getting for the price. However, the rest of Thursday’s boots are produced in León Guanajuato, Mexico.

Still, this boot is incredibly impressive considering its relatively low price point. 

The Vanguard uses a Horween Chromexcel upper and is lined with Horween Glove leather. There’s triple stitching along the upper and toe box—in a lot of respects, it’s just as durable as the Red Wing Iron Ranger, but it’s $100 cheaper. But it also has a much slimmer silhouette, steel shanks, and more pointed toe.

If you want a dressier looking boot (though it’s still quite rugged), the Thursday Vanguard is a USA-built masterpiece.

Great Value: Red Wing Iron Ranger

Red Wing boots have been crafting American Heritage lines in Red Wing, Minnesota since 1905.

The Iron Ranger is one of the most iconic boots in the US today, and the line is inspired by what early iron miners in the Midwest used to wear on the job.

The Red Wing Iron Ranger is a tough boot that works equally well for work and for style.

Best Work Boot: Thorogood Moc Toe

The Thorogood Moc Toe is basically ubiquitous on construction sites. There’s always one guy who knows the secret. 

While a lot of workers might opt for squishy insoles and fancy plastic guards and multicolored boots made overseas, the dudes who want longevity from their boots stick to American made. 

The Thorogood Moc Toe isn’t all that pretty, but it’s reasonably priced and it’s a total tank of a boot. The wedge sole offers a lot of slip resistance and electrical resistance, plus the triple stitched upper and 360-degree storm welt ensure that your feet will stay dry and protected. 

Even after years of rough wearing.

And if you want the best American made work sock to pair with this boot, I highly recommend the Camel City Mill Lightweight Wool Work Sock. These are my favorite boot socks and they’re 100% made in North Carolina.

Best Chukka: Oak Street Campus

Oak Street Bootmakers are based in Chicago and of all the brands on this list, they’re likely the most “made in USA” of them all (tied with Nick’s Handmade Boots). 

While many USA-built brands will source from outside the country and even pre-build some components abroad, Oak Street makes everything in their Chicago factory.

The Campus Chukka is made with either Horween Chromexcel or Horween Orion suede, both of which are packed with oils and waxes for extra water resistance and fantastic patina development.

Best Hiking Boot: Danner Mountain Light

View this post on Instagram

You’ve heard of Danner. They’re American hiking boot legends, and their Mountain Light has done most of the heavy lifting in earning the brand that reputation.

This boot has been around since 1979, fully constructed in Portland, Oregon. Makes sense: Portland is such a great place to take a hike. 

Made with either Dri-Lex or Gore-Tex (depending on which model you get), this boot has excellent water resistance and the fiberglass shank offers plenty of support without becoming too heavy. 

The Danner Mountain Light is well regarded as one of the best backpacking boots of all time, so if you’re thinking about going full Americana and wearing some USA-made boots while hitting the Appalachian or PCT, this is the only way to go.

Best Cowboy Boot: Abilene Bison Leather

You’d think that American made cowboy boots would be easy to find. You’d be wrong.

Despite their design heritage, most western style boots are made overseas. There are a few hand built and custom options you can find that are built in the USA, but many bump up close to $1,000 per pair. And that’s not something I’m interested in.

So where do you go if you want a quality pair of cowboy boots that are made here at home and don’t cost a small fortune?

Abilene.

Their Bison Leather boots are the best value USA built cowboy boot I could find.

Best Handmade: Nicks Handmade Americana

Nicks Handmade boots from Spokane, Washington have a reputation as some of the best boots in the world. 

They’re each custom-made to order, and the wait is known to last up to six months. 

Smokejumpers swear by the Nicks Hot Shot, and if these boots are good enough for firefighters to jump out of a plane and immediately start battling a towering inferno, they’re good enough for me.

I don’t recommend their fire boots for casual wear—I think the Americana is a much more versatile boot but still has all the rugged sturdiness and indestructible quality

Best Steel Toe: Thorogood Steel Toe Moc

I’ve already put the Thorogood Moc Toe on this list once, but it’s such a great value-for-money work boot that I couldn’t resist putting the steel toe version on here, too. 

Choose between the 8-inch and the 6-inch version, depending on your needs. 

If you’re working in tough conditions and you wear these every day, you can expect them to last between two and three years (which is a long time for folks who put in long, arduous hours). At just over $200, there are few better deals out there. 

Best Winter Boots: JK Boots Arctic No. 1

The JK Arctic is a true hard-working insulated boot you can trust in the coldest winters.

With 400g of Thinsulate insulation and a 10” shaft, these boots can make a blizzard feel more like a breezy autumn day. At least for your feet.

With a stitchdown construction and waterproof treated leather, these also do a fantastic job keeping your feet dry.

Pretty Much Every USA-Made Boot Listed

Here’s a list of every American-made boot brand. There are plenty of other USA based boot brands, but the ones not listed here outsource their production.

This list is in alphabetical order, and I’ll make a special note for certain brands like Red Wing, which makes its Heritage line in the US, but their work boots are made abroad.

• Alden
• Allen Edmonds
• Chippewa
• Danner
• Double-H Boots
• Frank’s Boots
• J.K. Boots
• Keen
• Kreosote
• L.L. Bean
• Mark Albert
• Nick’s Handmade Boots
• Oak Street Bootmakers
• Origin Maine
• Red Wing Heritage Boots
• Roleclub
• Thorogood
• Thursday Boots (their Vanguard and Logger)
• Truman Boot Company
• Wesco
• White’s Boot Company
• Wolverine (1000 Mile boot, but not work boots)

Surprising Brands that Aren’t Made in the USA

It’s true that most American brands have shifted their production abroad, mainly to China, but also to Vietnam, Mexico, and many other countries. 

It may surprise you, but brands like Carhartt and Ariat aren’t actually made in the USA. With other popular brands like Wolverine, Frye, and Rocky have select lines that are made in the USA, but the majority of their boots are made elsewhere. 

In my experience, there’s no link between “American craftsmanship” and the finished quality of the boot. In fact, some of the best built boots in my collection come from Colombia and China (Beckett Simonon and Grant Stone). 

But there is something to be said for shopping as local as possible. 

Which Is Right for You?

Whether you’re looking for a pair of quality work boots or just want something with solid build quality and a story you can get behind, these nine boots are outstanding. 

While a lot of manufacturing went abroad during the 80s and 90s, American industry is far from gone. 

In fact, some of these American-Made boots prove its thriving. The craftsmanship for each item is outstanding and I’m sure you’ll love whichever you choose. 

FAQs