Footwear firm Twisted X is dipping its toes into shoe production in the U.S. market.
The Decatur, Texas-based manufacturer of men’s, women’s and children’s footwear has expertise in Western, work, outdoor and lifestyle shoes.
The company will launch a collection on July 4 that features nine work styles: the Chelsea boot, four work boots and four mud boots. The styles incorporate features typically found in work shoes, including nano toe, steel toe, waterproof, electrical hazard protection, slip resistant outsoles and quick draw laces.
The shoes are assembled in the U.S. with globally-sourced materials. Twisted X said that by sourcing the best materials from the best locations, the company is expanding its ability to deliver higher-quality, readily available footwear for customers and retail partners. The brand also is known for its cutting-edge comfort technologies.
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The company declined to disclose where the shoes are manufactured other than they are across U.S. factories.
While Twisted X has chosen to start with its work vertical, the company said it is considering further expansion into other categories.
As for why now is the right time to move production to the U.S., Twisted X chief executive officer Prasad Reddy said: “The current administration has made domestic manufacturing a national priority, and we believe footwear should be part of that conversation.”
He said that for Twisted X, bringing more of the process home is about investing in American workers, strengthening supply chain resilience with diversification, and supporting the communities that have shaped the Twisted X brand.
“When we were looking for the right partner, I relied on my existing industry relationships. I’ve known these contacts for over 30 years, and we have worked well together in the past,” he said. He explained that one “factory previously was forced to close, but we reached out and we took on the production, growing the relationship to include multiple factories here in the U.S.A.”
Reddy added that while it is more expensive to make product in the U.S., the quality is high and more automation enables Twisted X to reduce labor costs so that there is “not a big increased in the price of the product for our retailers and customers.”
Twisted X, owned by Twisted X Global Brands, began operations in 2005. It launched it Driving Moc in January 2010, introducing the first ever casual shoe to the western industry. In addition to Twisted X, other brands in the parent firm’s portfolio are Twisted X Work, Black Star Boots and its CellSole, the company’s comfort technology footbeds that features its CellStretch cell comfort technology. In November 2020, the company introduced its “no glue shoe” collection, Zero-X, which includes elements of eco-forward manufacturing that reduces pollutants and energy use.
