A group of 76 American footwear companies has come together to urge the US government to remove footwear from its list of items affected by reciprocal tariffs. The move comes after President Trump recently said he might consider exemptions for businesses that are being “hit a little bit harder” by the tariffs.

The companies, including big names like Nike, Adidas, and Skechers, signed a letter sent by the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA).

They say the shoe industry is already carrying a heavy load when it comes to taxes and tariffs. For instance, some children’s shoes are already taxed at rates as high as 20% to 37.5% and that’s before adding the new tariffs.

With the added tariffs, some companies could end up paying between 150% and 220% in total. Most of these companies sell affordable shoes to working-class families and say they cannot absorb or pass on such high costs to customers.

“We are hit particularly hard by the tariff actions, because the US government already places a significant tariff burden on our industry before any new tariffs are added. For example, children’s shoes often have rates of 20%, 37.5%, and higher, before accounting for the reciprocal tariffs”

Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA)

The FDRA also made it clear that these tariffs won’t bring shoe manufacturing back to the United States. According to the group, building new factories and changing suppliers takes a lot of time and money something many companies don’t have right now.

The letter warned that without quick help, some companies may shut down. That could lead to job losses, higher prices for customers, and less money being spent overall all of which could hurt the wider US economy.

In their appeal, the companies are asking the administration to take a smarter, more focused approach. They suggest keeping tariffs on strategic items and not on everyday goods like basic footwear.