New Balance

New Balance (also known simply as NB) is an American sportswear company based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1906 by English-born William J. Riley, the brand is known for its comfortable, high-quality products.

Over the past 115 years, the North American institution has made its shoes in both the U.S. (Massachusetts, Maine) and U.K. (England). Since its origins as a company specializing in arch supports, the brand has enjoyed widespread popularity among runners, which began with the New Balance Trackster, the first-ever running shoe with rippled soles (1961), and continued well into the subsequent decades thanks to the New Balance 320 (1976); New Balance 990 (1982); and New Balance 1500 (1993), among others. (President Bill Clinton famously wore the pair during his presidency, which led to high sales of the model.)

Several popular New Balance shoes are rooted in performance-needs, but they’ve also gained popularity within the lifestyle space. Special collaborations with Concepts, Ronnie Fieg and Aimé Leon Dore have helped it gain footing within highly sought-after sneaker collections.

Recent years have seen the Boston-based manufacturer’s widespread popularity sky-rocket thanks to the “dad” shoe trend. In 2020, the Steve Jobs-approved New Balance 992 from 2006 experienced its first retro run since 2010. New propositions like the New Balance 327 – which debuted April 2020 in collaboration with Casablanca – have quickly garnered praise for their equal-parts heritage and modern design.

Elsewhere, NBA Champion Kawhi Leonard, who signed to the brand in 2018, has brought the company further attention, especially in the performance-basketball space. Leonard’s own signature shoe – the KAWHI – launched Fall 2020. Leonard’s sneaker has been succeeded by the Jamal Murray-endorsed TWO WXY, but much more attention had been payed to NB’s vintage basketball shoes. With the help of Aimé Leon Dore’s Teddy Santis, who was appointed Creative Director of Made in USA in April 2021, the New Balance 550 has become extremely popular.

Away from sportswear, the North American company has supported Covid-19 relief efforts with general-use face masks and footwear for healthcare workers.

New Balance

The New Balance 2002R Joins The Upcoming “Festivals” Pack

With in-line pack drops, New Balance has established a track record of ringing in new seasons and acknowledging major events on the calendar. Accomplishing both...

By Matt Varga March 25, 2024
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“Pink Sugar” Brightens Up The New Balance 530

The New Balance 530 isn’t looked upon with the same fondness as tentpoles like the New Balance 550 and “Made In” pairs, but its Y2K...

By Andrew Rizzo March 23, 2024
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Two New Balance 9060s Emerge From The “Festival Pack”

The New Balance 9060 has pretty seamlessly entered the modern New Balance mainline, presenting a “chunky shoe” foil to the dominant tech runner and lifestyle...

By Matt Varga March 22, 2024
3167

New Balance 990v4 Made In USA “Arctic Grey” Drops On March 28th

New Balance fanatics have been clamoring for more 990v4 colorways and the past few Made in USA seasons haven’t disappointed. The fourth installment of the...

By Andrew Rizzo March 21, 2024
1631

New Balance 990v4 Made In USA “Macadamia Nut” Drops On March 28th

Teddy Santis’ appointment to creative director of the New Balance Made In USA program has certainly injected new life, and new hype, into each successive...

By Matt Varga March 21, 2024
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The Next Chapter Of The New Balance 550

If one were to envision a Mount Rushmore of trending sneaker models, the New Balance 550 would unquestionably claim a spot. The lifestyle shoe from...

By Andrew Rizzo March 21, 2024
2924

“Electric Yellow” Marks A Radiant New Balance WRPD Runner

The New Balance WRPD Runner continues to roll out new looks as it approaches 7 months as a general release NB model. So far, those...

By Matt Varga March 17, 2024
1058

Tom Knox’s New Balance Numeric 600 Drizzles In “Rain Cloud”

The New Balance renaissance has come to pass largely on the back of turn-of-the-century retro runners and premium lifestyle sneakers. The success of those two...

By Matt Varga March 16, 2024
3513

The Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 990v4 Is Available Now

Coinciding with today’s release of the Aimé Leon Dore New Balance 860v2, the two collaborative partners are continuing the momentum via the New Balance 990v4....

By Matt Varga March 15, 2024
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