Sorry about your injury. It’s a bummer to lose out on something that brought joy.
I’ve talked with the shop folks about checkout notes. They said they can try to pick out but cannot guarantee it. For the most part it’s highschool/college kids at the front desk and will grab the first sandal for an ordered SKU.
It’s further complicated by their logistics. The last time I was in the shop there was only one pair of sandals in the model and size I wanted, and the source models were all mixed together (no made-in USA wall; that wall was a new special release). If I wanted a different color, then I’d have to buy a foreign made sandal. The quality is still great, but I like to support locals if at all feasible.
My trick is to make a trip to the factory store. I have family in socal and the sandals last so long that I just buy a spare pair to keep in my closet once every year or two. More hassle, but it comes with the benefit of great beaches and downtowns. ;)
All that said, they do maximize their US production. The reason they’re limited in capacity is the glue that’s used. VOCs in the glue are restricted in quantity and hence they can only make so many sandals a day before they run out of their daily limit of glue. The family made a choice to expand their brand and the only way to do that was to build another factory. China makes sense in this context.
Sorry about your injury. It’s a bummer to lose out on something that brought joy.
I’ve talked with the shop folks about checkout notes. They said they can try to pick out but cannot guarantee it. For the most part it’s highschool/college kids at the front desk and will grab the first sandal for an ordered SKU.
It’s further complicated by their logistics. The last time I was in the shop there was only one pair of sandals in the model and size I wanted, and the source models were all mixed together (no made-in USA wall; that wall was a new special release). If I wanted a different color, then I’d have to buy a foreign made sandal. The quality is still great, but I like to support locals if at all feasible.
My trick is to make a trip to the factory store. I have family in socal and the sandals last so long that I just buy a spare pair to keep in my closet once every year or two. More hassle, but it comes with the benefit of great beaches and downtowns. ;)
All that said, they do maximize their US production. The reason they’re limited in capacity is the glue that’s used. VOCs in the glue are restricted in quantity and hence they can only make so many sandals a day before they run out of their daily limit of glue. The family made a choice to expand their brand and the only way to do that was to build another factory. China makes sense in this context.