As many of you know, I love my Chuck Taylors. They’re comfy, simple, and allow me to maintain just a little bit of my former punk rock attitude as I take meetings with my kids’ teachers.
Recently, though, I’ve developed a bit of a conflict about my Chucks, seeing as how they are no longer made in the USA, and are, in fact, outsourced to one of the beautiful Nike sweatshops happy factories that are such an important part of the Chinese economy (especially among 10 year olds young go-getters.)
I just now came across a company which sells shoes that look almost exactly like Chuck Taylors, but are made by union workers in completely non-sweatshop conditions. And the best part? They cost just about the same as Chucks.
The company is called No Sweat Apparel. They sell their low tops for $40 and their high tops for $42. Shipping to Los Angeles cost me $6, so when all is said and done, I figure that I’m spending about $3 more than if I went to Shoe City or something, but I have the convenience of shopping in my underpants while drinking a Stone Pale Ale, easy shipping to my office, and the warm, fuzzy, happytown knowledge that no people were exploited in the production of my future footwear.
For the cynical among you: I’m not getting anything from No Sweat. I just think this is a really cool company, doing a really cool thing, and any group of people who are supporting the concept of Trade, Not Aid are doing good stuff, as far as I am concerned. There’s a bunch of news stories about the company at their website, and you can learn more about truly fair trade (not the bullshit Republican kind) at Wikipedia.
My nifty new shoes should arrive in a few weeks. I’ll follow up and let you all know if they’re as swell as I hope they are.
(discovered via boingboing.)
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Wow!
Sorry Wil. I love my Chucks too, however they gotta be the real deal or else I ain’t wearing any.
I hope you understand my point of view. I’m against sweatshops as much as you are, but unless I have the actual brand name printed on my products, I go really crazy.
Beau, your label is more important than sweatshop conditions for children? That’s SO not punk rock…
Thanks Wil, I didn’t know they weren’t being made here anymore. I buy them because they’re not leather and (were) made without sweatshops. I’ll have to check out No Sweat.
Back in the day, I used to have a black pair of Vans that were Chuck Taylor clones. Loved ’em. Got to have the style & street cred, with the added cache of being just a little bit different than all the other guys wearing Converse.
Having the real deal is totally understandable. And sometimes, the only acceptable thing. But, needing something for a label that everyone can see? That’s just following the crowd and/or submitting to other peoples’ expectations. i.e. trying to be cool like that, is not cool.
Be your own person.
Use your own personality.
I hate to rain on folks’ parades here, but I got a pair of these a year and a half ago and they were some of the worst-made shoes I’ve ever owned. Now, Chucks lost a lot of quality once they moved the manufacturing overseas, but the No Sweats that I got were just ridiculous. The rubber that attaches the sole to the canvas started to separate within weeks. At 6 months of normal wear they were nearly unwearable outside because there were gaping holes in the canvas at the balls of my feet. Chucks ordinarily lasted me about a year, year and a half; I held onto the No Sweats as long as I could and they lasted maybe 8 or 9 months. As much as I like supporting the company for what they’re trying, I’ve gotta have shoes that last a reasonable amount of time.
“East Orange! Piscataway!”
Uh, what’s the relevance of the title? Other than the fact that those are names of two towns in New Jersey? 🙂
To Michael and EdwoodCA:
I knew this would happen. That’s OK with me. I’m not actually trying to be cool or anything; it’s really the opposite. I just have to have the real deal, and not some imitators that don’t last as long.
To Dossy: Only fans of Mike Doughty would understand the title of the post.
Well, being a poor kid from Philly, I had knock-off Chucks and I loved the shit out of them. That is, until I outgrew them and flung them up on top of the telephone wires…good old Philly, how I love you so.
gee, beau, you sound like a real swell guy.
Wil, this is the company that my union (local543.twuatd.org) is getting polo shirts with our local union logo made through. I knew you were pro-union but it’s cool to see a company I am familiar with getting a plug on your site! Hope you like your shoes.
I just thought I’d mention another company that also sells shoes that are made under no-sweatshop, unionized conditions.
They are called blackspot and can be found here: http://adbusters.org/metas/corpo/blackspotshoes/info.php
It’s part of the AdBuster campaign: http://adbusters.org/home/
My husband got a pair of those. We’re vegan, and it’s all about the prevention of cruelty, so it’s kind of hard to find shoes that fit our standards and are cool, to boot. He loves his shoes.
I love it when someone mentions a town near me that no one outside New Jersey has usually ever heard of.
It makes me feel validated. Is that wrong?
In any case, I’ve never had a pair of Chucks. Maybe now I’ll get some. Or pseudo-chucks anyway.
Oddly enough, I had the same song referenced in the statusbar of my blog for the last 2 weeks. Just got turned on to this album and I’m loving it. Thanks for thinking about who is affected by little things like where you buy shoes, maybe you’ll remind someone else to do the same.
Mine were red with neon green laces. At this point in the 80’s damn near everything was neon.
The soft fabric french foreign legion knock-off hats were popular as well. Especially if they had a checker board pattern to them.
I would love to be young and dumb again, instead of just dumb.
That’s cool. A friend of mine has been on a mission as of late to avoid anything that comes from china, and is having a really hard time. I wonder though, why you insist on throwing hate around when combating politicians? I think what you said would have been just as effective as getting your point across without lowering yourself to the level of a consumer of Hatorade.
\m/ rock on.
Neat site. I can’t (successfully) buy shoes without trying them on, but I’ll probably be getting some of those long-sleeve t’s. Great price!
Just one thing, though – Wil ordering stuff online in his underpants. No offense, but that’s a mental picture I could have lived without. 😉
I have two pair of chucks. A black pair I’ve had since high school (class of ’93 rocks! uhhh.) and Christmas pair that I bought back in ’92 and I put on every holiday season. I hadn’t worn my black pair for a few years. I’ve put them on again recently and I got much admiration from my 12 year old son. No, he didn’t understand why there were Oingo Boingo lyrics written all over the rubber sole. It’s a spandex obsession.
My poor chucks are wearing out. Thanks for the linky.
Now why can’t I get the words “sweatshop” and “shopping in my underpants.” out of my head?
You know, I’ve never understood the fixation on CT’s… When I skated, they were the worst, since they wore out in a couple of weeks. They have no support, no cushion, and sorry guys, no style…
Not to mention, that growing up in Seattle, they suck in the rain too since they absorb water and stay wet all the time…
Vans were/are WAY cooler, and for Style, you gotta go with Docs…
Now that I’m older, give me a pair of New Balance. They are the best shoe money can buy for comfort in my book, and I’ve actually called thier support line, and (get this) actually gotten help. Twice. You see, they have a kind of wierd numbering system that isn’t always consistant, so when they change over for a line, I don’t know what to buy… Just call them up and say, hey, I bought these 8xx’s last year, what is the similar show this year. They rattle off the closest things, and said, “If you do more running, I would go with these ones, but if you are using to work out in a gym, than these ones are better” I asked a couple of questions, and they actually knew thier products. It was great. Who expects phone support from a shoe company.
Because my brain is a twisted, twisted little thing, every time I hear someone say “no sweat” I will forever picture Wil in briefs and high tops, downing a cold pale ale. Dang you, Wheaton!
Thanks for the info on those, Wil. My five year old chucks have now sprung a leak which far beyond the help of duct tape and shoe goo so I’m in the market for new shoes. If my searches, I’ve found P.F. Flyers makes shoes that look like Chucks as well. If you’ve seen the movie sandlot, those are the shoes the kid wears to pickle the dog.
Now I’ve got choices, and choices are good.
1492 – shoes, Gonzales, ashy
It’s a bit ashy around here – that happens when there’s a big brush fire 10 miles from your house….
My brother Michael is also a Chuck wearer. I will be curious to see how you like yours and then I will pass the link along to him to see what he thinks. In college, I had Chucks in every color there was, and never wore the same color on both feet. Amazing what was “cool” in the Eighties.
Wil, you just gained about a jillion cool points. I’ve been looking for non-evil Chuck-alikes for at least a year! awesomeawesomeawesome…
How funny I was just talking about this today. I haven’t bought any Converse since they got bought out by Nike (a tear slowly falls). I don’t even think most people know that this happened. I certainly know many anti-sweatshop folks who were surprised.
Another good source is Black Spot Sneakers. They cost a more, but it’s another option.
http://adbusters.org/metas/corpo/blackspotshoes/home.php
Oops, someone already mentioned these further up. Guess I need to read ALL the comments before posting. Party foul for me!
Classic Black High-top Sneaker: nosweatapparel
My next pair of Chucks will not in fact be Chucks but Classic Black High-top Sneakers by No Sweat that arent made in Nike sweatshops but instead by union workers. Very cool. via
…
They’ve only got six colors and since I’m out to collect every color of chucks possible, I’m afraid that just won’t do. 🙂
As to the person who said they just don’t get what everyone loves about chucks…. If you don’t get it now, you probably never will. Chucks rule.
Mmmmm…Wil in underwear. Oh jesus I need to get out more.
I did an entire Montreal winter in a pair of 5-year-old blue hightop Chucks, and I got a pair of black lowtops at DSW for $20 just the other day. So, um, $46? Not on a publishing salary.
Black Spot sucks ass. Hey, if the idea is to eschew branding, then why do they need $80 for pair of kicks?
While I agree, boycotting child-labour-created products of any kind is not an answer. Many children rely on these “sweatshops” as their only source of income. Once we stop using a particular product, the children in these places will have to leave, and find other similar “sweatshops” to work in. Boycotting a product simply means they lose their job and are forced to find another in similar, if not worse, conditions. This is no way to solve a serious problem; it makes it worse. Instead, try taking a different approach and contact these companies about child labour.
So I urge everyone reading this (not only Wil, but others): DO NOT BOYCOTT SWEATSHOP-MANUFACTURED ITEMS! It will not end child labour, but simply make children lose the only means they have of supporting their families. PLEASE, try a different approach that will not harm the children!
Stiph:
Thanks for making my point. I guess I just worded my opinion wrong or something.
Wow, thanks Stiph. I needed a laugh!
I remember when Converse was bought out and had to close their factories in the US. I was working in shoes at the time… It was amazing to actualy compare the shoes and see the differences…
Anyway, No Sweat is a great company and make a decent product. There’s a shop down the street from me that sells them here in Portland. Good stuff! 🙂
Don’t bother trying to buy the black low cuts, out of stock. Wish they had better/more colours. What’s up with brown?
I’m with Mudboy on this one. I know not of these Chucks or whatever, but New Balance are some of the best athletic shoes I’ve ever owned and they are made in St. Louis, USA.
I love their running shoes – keep going long after the Nikes fall apart – and and… wait for it… wait for it…
They are way cheaper. Cheaper and better… holy cow, who would have thought?
Ironically, when I came to your blog today, one of the Google ads on the side was for Converse shoes at Amazon. So much for trying to promote the other guy, eh? I’ll definitely bookmark No Sweat Apparel though… thanks for the plug. =)