The Carson Sole Machine Rides Again
After years of rebuilding, setbacks, relocation, equipment moves, and more uncertainty than I ever expected, we finally poured new Carson soles again out in rural Oregon.
Seeing fresh soles come out of the molds again honestly felt surreal.
We went quiet for a long time, but we weren't taking it easy or waiting for things to happen. We were rebuilding nearly everything from the ground up. Thanks to our customers—and many prayers—we never stopped believing we could save the brand.
The road here has not been easy or straightforward.
Like many small American manufacturers, we got hit from every direction over the last several years. But to borrow a term from the ultra-running community, we focused on continuous forward movement. No matter how small the step, we kept pushing. Quitting was never part of the plan.
Little by little, machine by machine, things started coming back together.
The Grain Elevator
Today, I'm happy to say we have added another Carson Footwear production facility in eastern Oregon.
"The Grain Elevator," our Trading Post #2, is a repurposed grain elevator with enough room and power to provide a permanent home for our rubber-making equipment. Getting this facility online took more than a year, but the machines are finally running and ready to start filling molds again.
The Sole Machine
Eventually, we plan to add a full assembly line, retail space, and offices there as well, but for now we finally have fresh rubber pouring again.
These new compounds are the newest polyurethane systems we've worked with so far. The current version is running approximately 60 Shore A—slightly softer than previous Carson soles, with improved grip and better feel underfoot.
Early testing has been extremely encouraging.
The Old Cafe
For now, we're continuing to build uppers and ship from our repurposed café in Grass Valley, Oregon—"The Café," Trading Post #1—where we've spent the last several years rebuilding equipment, refining processes, and working to get Carson back to where it deserves to be.
There's still more work ahead. More testing. More refinement. More production to ramp up. But for the first time in a long time, Carson Footwear is moving forward again with renewed energy.
The footwear industry left American manufacturing behind a long time ago.
We've watched too many brands come and go, and one lesson became very clear: if you want to survive long term, you need to control your own manufacturing.
We do. And we survived.
Not because it was easy. Honestly, it would have been much easier to quit.
But I've always believed there is still value in making things here, solving problems directly, and building products with your own hands.
That belief is what kept Carson alive.
Preorders Are Open
Starting today, we are opening preorders to our email subscribers and longtime supporters as we begin bringing production back online.
If you've been waiting for Carson to return, this is your first opportunity to reserve a pair as we begin our next chapter of American-made footwear production.
What started as a simple idea—to build running shoes in America—has become a much larger journey. Through every challenge, we've remained committed to making products the right way, here at home, and proving that American manufacturing still has a place in the future.
Initial shipments are expected to begin in mid-July.
Thank you to everyone who stuck with us through the silence.
It means more than you probably know.
— Everett Carson
Founder, Carson Footwear