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Chrome Launches New Retro Forged Rubber Sneakers

Written by Saris Mercanti
20 Comments
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Chrome Forged Rubber ShoesMade one at a time in a seventy year old machine salvaged from Slovakia, the new canvas top Chrome sneakers ooze classic style. Unlike their other shoes, that have vulcanized rubber soles, these utilize forged rubber due to it’s durability.

The forged rubber soles are available on two different models, a regular sneaker model and a slip on, in a wide array of colors for $85. The shoes also feature their signature reflective heel, and an antimicrobial sock liner with a quick-dry footbed, for comfortable sockless wear.

Head past the break for a great video on how the shoes are made in Thailand…

For more info, visit Chrome
Saris Mercanti
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Willis24
Willis24
10 years ago

Slovakia, not Slovenia. Hosted a student from there, so I correct you in his honor.

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Kristi Benedict
Admin
Kristi Benedict
10 years ago
Reply to  Willis24

Thanks Willis24, corrected.

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Jeremy Smith
Jeremy Smith
10 years ago

Why not salvage the machine and bring it to the USA, and make the shoes here?

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David
David
10 years ago

No size bigger than 13?
I’m sad…
🙁

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Keoni
Keoni
10 years ago

Oh my GOD….seriously you guys just posted video evidence of your sweat shop!!! You make bags in the USA why can’t you make shoes too? There are many good reasons to make products in the USA, I can only think of one reason to make overseas…$$$

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MikeC
MikeC
10 years ago

Y’all wouldn’t pay the money they’d have to charge for a pair of sneakers made in the USA.

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brett
brett
10 years ago

I don’t understand why people assume that a factory in Thailand must be a sweatshop? There are really good factories in China, and there are still plenty of sweatshops in midtown Manhattan. With the exception of the poorest of the poor countries (like Bangladesh) there is very little correlation between working conditions and country of origin.

If you can’t think of any reason to make something outside of the USA other than profit, than clearly you don’t have much experience in manufacturing. Availability of inputs, quality control, knowledgeable work force, and yes, cost all contribute to sourcing decisions.

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Max
Max
10 years ago

I think the video gives a few good reasons why they make shoes in Thailand. The rubber comes from Thailand and needs to be molded within a few days of being harvested. The craftspeople there know how to make shoes and have experience making good shoes. To make these in the US, they’d have to source fresh rubber, which can’t be produced in the US. That would mean it would have to be imported, probably from Mexico, which would also set the Bikerumor comments section aflame. It wouldn’t be fresh and the price would go up anyway. Plus, you know if they were MUSA, they’d probably be made in LA by Latino and South Asian immigrants, which would also set the ‘Murica crowd off.

Like MikeC said, if they were MUSA, you wouldn’t pay the premium for them. Especially since it wouldn’t even result in a better shoe.

Contrary to popular belief, high-quality goods can come from places not in North America or Europe.

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Anthony
Anthony
10 years ago

That’s not a sweatshop, those are skilled craftsmen who have a trade and a skill not many people still have; harvesting natural rubber and turning it into shoes, your a racist and a idiot just because they are in Thailand doesn’t mean they work in a sweatshop, look at the smile on those people’s faces if it was a sweatshop they would be miserable, those are the faces of people who are appreciated for their trade

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Psi Squared
Psi Squared
10 years ago

Interestingly there’s no evidence of the factory shown in the video being a sweatshop.

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groghunter
groghunter
10 years ago

I’m not one to pay $85 for casual(for me) shoes, but I’d almost do so for these, I really like the understated look. That said, I’d want to be able to remove the footbed to wear them zero drop, so I’d have to see them in person to know.

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AbelF
AbelF
10 years ago

So, made in Thailand using old 2nd or 3rd hand machinery. Whats new and or different about this than the gazillions of other shoes made in Thailand? They do look nice though!

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Rick Morranis
Rick Morranis
10 years ago

Chrome claims that their stuff is made in the US, but it only some of their stuff. Besides a few, 2 maybe 3, lines of bags and t-shirts the rest of the stuff is made overseas. They need to stop claiming ‘Made in the USA”.

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Psi Squared
Psi Squared
10 years ago

Apparently Chrome readily admits that not all of their stuff is made in the US.

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k
k
10 years ago

lol @ “sweat shop”

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Flip
Flip
10 years ago

@Rick Morranis – Where do they say that? What I saw was a video that plainly stated that they made their shows in Thailand.

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Taylor
Taylor
10 years ago

@AbelF, Video pretty clearly states that the machinery was used for boot construction in the past, not sneakers.

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Random Interloper
Random Interloper
10 years ago

You can buy a Made in the USA rubber soled/canvas upper sneaker for half the price from American Apparel. (http://store.americanapparel.net/unisex-denim-tennis-shoe_tennishod)

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Psi Squared
Psi Squared
10 years ago

All tennis shoes are not alike.

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Jeremy
Jeremy
10 years ago

Contrary to what others have said, I’d pay for a good american-made sneaker with a simple aesthetic. I don’t really like the look of New Balance, or else that’d be the only sneaker on my feet.

There’s a lot more complex reasons to keep manufacturing over here than just GO AMERICA! Not everyone gets to/wants to/should be a software engineer or social media guru or whatever, and stable manufacturing work was what built the american middle class.

Even in the case of, say, a Latino worker in LA, sewing for American Apparel. That worker is going to go spend that money in LA, pay rent to a landlord in LA, buy food in LA.

All that said, these still look pretty great, especially for the same price as some of the fancier pairs of Vans.

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