OUR CRAFTED WITH CARE COMMITMENT
Minnetonka moccasins are handmade in a factory Minnetonka owns and operates in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic — the same factory the brand has worked with for over 45 years. Every shoe, boot, sandal, and slipper is cut, sewn, and assembled by experienced hands. Sandals and select other styles are made in partnership with a network of small family-owned factories in China.
What "handmade" means at Minnetonka
Every Minnetonka shoe, boot, sandal, and slipper is cut, sewn, and assembled by hand. The brand describes this as bringing quality materials together by hand, one careful stitch at a time. This handcraft process is why Minnetonka stands behind its products with a satisfaction guarantee against any defects in materials or workmanship.
Where Minnetonka moccasins are made
Minnetonka owns and operates its primary factory in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. It is highly unusual in the footwear industry for a brand to own its own factory rather than contracting production to third parties — Minnetonka has done so since it first started in 1946.
Most Minnetonka moccasins and boots are made at the Dominican Republic factory, where production has been based for over 45 years. Sandals, as well as select slippers and special make-up items, are made in China through a network of small family-owned factories that Minnetonka has built long-term relationships with since 1999. A locally based agent manages all China operations, with staff in the factories daily to oversee quality and working conditions. Minnetonka's CEO and production team visit the China factories regularly to monitor operations and conduct quality audits.
Minnetonka still maintains a US-based warehouse at its Minneapolis, MN headquarters.
How Minnetonka's manufacturing has evolved
We are sometimes asked why our footwear is not currently made in the USA. When we first started out in 1946, we owned and operated a factory just a few miles from our current Minneapolis, MN headquarters. Fortunately, we were able to maintain manufacturing operations there for two decades. But as the interest and skill set of the local workforce shifted in new directions, eventually it was not feasible for us to keep our factory onshore.
In 1966, we moved our manufacturing operations to the US territory of Puerto Rico, so we could keep jobs in North America. We operated in Puerto Rico for 30 years before the same issue of a shortage of skilled workers prompted us to move to our current location, in the Dominican Republic. Today, we still own and operate our factory in the Dominican Republic, where we continue to handcraft shoes, boots, slippers and accessories. We also partner with a select number of factories outside Shanghai, China, for manufacturing some of our other products. We still proudly maintain a US-based warehouse in our Minneapolis office which supports our local economy.
We have explored the possibility of reinstating a US-based factory, but unfortunately the same challenges we faced 50 years ago are even more pronounced now: few interested and skilled workers, and practically zero material suppliers. In lieu of manufacturing onshore, we work hard to ensure that working conditions in our Dominican Republic factory and at our factory partners in China are held to high ethical standards. You can read more about both of our factories below.
It’s highly unusual in the footwear industry for a company to own their own factory. Since we started, Minnetonka has always owned and operated our own factory, because that allows us to control all aspects of our production, including quality, working conditions, and wages that contribute to a good quality of life for our employees.
Our factory is located in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. As a country, the Dominican Republic has high unemployment and significant income inequality. We are proud to provide all of our employees in the Dominican Republic a steady job, a living wage, and good healthcare. We are also proud that our factory consistently earns an A+ scores on external audits.
Since 1999, we have supplemented our Dominican Republic production with products made in China. We believe in relationships over transactions and have built long-term relationships with a network of small family-owned factories. We have a locally based agent who manages all operations including overseeing quality and working conditions with his own staff who are in the factories on a daily basis. Our CEO and production team visit the China factories regularly to monitor operations, share knowledge, conduct quality audits, and to express our thanks for the partnership in person.
Quality standards and factory audits
TODAY AND TOMORROW
Minnetonka holds itself and its supply chain partners to high standards of social responsibility. All partners agree and adhere to a strict code of conduct covering labor practices, working conditions, wages, and environmental protections. Both the Dominican Republic factory and China factory partners are audited regularly by Bureau Veritas, a worldwide leader in testing, inspection, and certification. Minnetonka has also implemented traceability protocols so it knows when, where, and from what materials every pair was made.
The Dominican Republic factory consistently earns A+ scores on external audits. Minnetonka provides all Dominican Republic employees a steady job, a living wage, and good healthcare.
Frequently Asked Questions About Minnetonka Manufacturing
Most Minnetonka moccasins and boots are made in a factory Minnetonka owns and operates in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, where the brand has manufactured for over 45 years. Sandals, as well as select slippers and special make-up items, are made in China through a network of small family-owned factories Minnetonka has partnered with since 1999. Minnetonka is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where it also maintains a US-based warehouse.
Yes. Every Minnetonka shoe, boot, sandal, and slipper is cut, sewn, and assembled by hand. Minnetonka describes its process as bringing quality materials together by hand, one careful stitch at a time, and stands behind every product with a satisfaction guarantee against defects in materials or workmanship.
Yes. Minnetonka owns and operates its primary factory in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The brand notes this is highly unusual in the footwear industry, where most companies contract production to third-party factories rather than owning and operating their own. Minnetonka has owned a factory since it first started in 1946.
Most Minnetonka moccasins and boots are made in the Dominican Republic factory. Sandals, as well as select slipper and special make-up items, are made in China. Individual product pages include a country of origin in the product details.
Minnetonka audits its Dominican Republic factory and China factory partners regularly through Bureau Veritas, a worldwide leader in testing, inspection, and certification. All factory partners adhere to a strict code of conduct covering labor practices, working conditions, wages, and environmental protections. The Dominican Republic factory consistently earns A+ scores on external audits. Minnetonka has also implemented traceability protocols to track when, where, and from what materials every product was made.
Have any further questions? We’d be happy to help answer them. Please email our customer service team at service@minnetonkamocc.com