Sporting Goods: Gloves

After my 3.5 mile (that's 5.78 km) run/ sand exfoliation facial given to me graciously by the howling winds on the beach, Jim and I set out to shop for some sporting goods. Jim needed to purchase some ankle weights to do the at-home portion of his physical therapy for two sprained knees, and I could use some running gloves since I felt extremely close to frostbite today with my cheapo knit gloves I bought from American Apparel about five years ago. I'll have to devote a whole post to my feelings about American Apparel, but not today.

We decided to hit Sports Authority since it is next to Trader Joe's and we could grab some groceries. Getting stopped at every red light in Queens, I pondered whether sporting goods were easily sourced in the US. It seems like we Americans take our sports pretty seriously, but I had no way of knowing until we got there.

Gloves were featured prominently on multiple displays all over the store.

So I started with a brand I'd never heard of: Manzella. Made in China.

Then to a brand I'd used when I was a kid on ski trips: Gordini. Made in China.

Then to one of my favorite companies: Burton. Made in China.

Another famous company known for quality products: Columbia. Made in China.

In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if these gloves were all coming out of the same factory in China. Gloves are a Licensed Product, which means that one manufacturer is in charge of production once the samples have been approved by the "name-brand company." The "name-brand compay" (i.e. Burton or Columbia) then designates where their logo will go and sells the goods under their label to retailers. Usually, there are a few big licensing corporations in each category (i.e. gloves, socks, hosiery) that aren't particularly promoted to the consumer. The business advantage of Licensing is that it allows a company to specialize in a particular product and a name-brand company doesn't have to spend the initial research and development costs to develop a product from scratch. Another advantage is that liability for raw materials is spread out amongst a few different brands, so it is easier to make bulk (large quantities) buys and get their orders accepted by factories, since they aren't just placing one run of gloves, but many.

Jim got his ankle weights. Made in China. I can't farm out my crusade to anyone else, so I still went home empty-handed. I guess my frost-promoting American Apparel gloves will have to do for now.

Upon internet investigation, it looks like the only Made in USA options are made specifically for the US military. I feel pretty confident that Uncle Sam will keep my fingers toasty.