Annie Minoff

Another problem was fashion. At Nike, design was king. And the company didn't want to be limited by what robots could handle.

Robots are a lot less accommodating. All of these challenges added up. So in 2019, Nike packed up from the Mexico facility and went back to focusing on making shoes in Asia. According to Tom, the factory never hit its targets. The company produced fewer than 200,000 pairs of shoes in its Mexico factory and never reduced the workforce there below 3,000 people.

Robots are a lot less accommodating. All of these challenges added up. So in 2019, Nike packed up from the Mexico facility and went back to focusing on making shoes in Asia. According to Tom, the factory never hit its targets. The company produced fewer than 200,000 pairs of shoes in its Mexico factory and never reduced the workforce there below 3,000 people.

Robots are a lot less accommodating. All of these challenges added up. So in 2019, Nike packed up from the Mexico facility and went back to focusing on making shoes in Asia. According to Tom, the factory never hit its targets. The company produced fewer than 200,000 pairs of shoes in its Mexico factory and never reduced the workforce there below 3,000 people.

They also never achieved Tom's goal of automating all those toothbrushes out of the production line. Was it a surprise that robots weren't better at shoemaking?

They also never achieved Tom's goal of automating all those toothbrushes out of the production line. Was it a surprise that robots weren't better at shoemaking?

They also never achieved Tom's goal of automating all those toothbrushes out of the production line. Was it a surprise that robots weren't better at shoemaking?

Nike wasn't the only shoe company to throw in the towel. Adidas and Under Armour had set up similar projects around the same time. And they actually did set them up in the U.S. Adidas in Atlanta and Under Armour in Baltimore. Under Armour called their effort Project Glory. Did they have better luck?

Nike wasn't the only shoe company to throw in the towel. Adidas and Under Armour had set up similar projects around the same time. And they actually did set them up in the U.S. Adidas in Atlanta and Under Armour in Baltimore. Under Armour called their effort Project Glory. Did they have better luck?

Nike wasn't the only shoe company to throw in the towel. Adidas and Under Armour had set up similar projects around the same time. And they actually did set them up in the U.S. Adidas in Atlanta and Under Armour in Baltimore. Under Armour called their effort Project Glory. Did they have better luck?

Adidas, Under Armour, and Nike declined to comment on their past reshoring efforts. All three companies refocused on Asia. And that might have been the end of the story. Except... Tariff.

Adidas, Under Armour, and Nike declined to comment on their past reshoring efforts. All three companies refocused on Asia. And that might have been the end of the story. Except... Tariff.

Adidas, Under Armour, and Nike declined to comment on their past reshoring efforts. All three companies refocused on Asia. And that might have been the end of the story. Except... Tariff.

Tom from Flex said that when he first heard about the tariffs, including on Vietnam, Indonesia, and China, he had to laugh.

Tom from Flex said that when he first heard about the tariffs, including on Vietnam, Indonesia, and China, he had to laugh.

Tom from Flex said that when he first heard about the tariffs, including on Vietnam, Indonesia, and China, he had to laugh.

So a big goal of these tariffs, according to Trump, is to bring manufacturing back to America. How hard is that going to be? Like, what's that going to take to happen?

So a big goal of these tariffs, according to Trump, is to bring manufacturing back to America. How hard is that going to be? Like, what's that going to take to happen?

So a big goal of these tariffs, according to Trump, is to bring manufacturing back to America. How hard is that going to be? Like, what's that going to take to happen?

— Representatives from Nike and Under Armour said that the companies are working out responses to tariffs. John says we shouldn't expect North American-made sneakers to become the norm anytime soon.