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.
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New Balance
The New Balance 1906R Goes Full Stealth In “Black/Silver”
Though formulated and released to lean into the dominant tech runner trend, NB has done right by the New Balance 1906R by keeping the model’s...
The New Balance 650 Gets A Familiar “Royal” Look For Womens
The New Balance 550 may be ahead in pure sales numbers, but the New Balance 650 plays no small part in guiding how NB relates...
The New Balance 1906R “Reflection” Launches In April
The New Balance 1906R delivers some of the best general release colorways on the market, ranging from dives into material and color to contemporary looks...
The Women’s Exclusive New Balance 1906R “Angora” Arrives For Summer
The New Balance 1906R, though a newer formulation, continues to march on as one of the Boston Brand’s best responses to tech runner trends. Though...
The Women’s New Balance 650 Dazzles In Emerald Green
Sneaker brands simply can’t miss when it comes to black and colorful designs on 80s basketball shoes. The precedent set by the Air Jordan 1...
Jaden Smith’s New Balance MSFTSrep 0.01 Gets A “Panda” Colorway
With the announcement of the New Balance MSFTSrep 0.01 back in October, Jaden Smith returned at long last to the footwear game, having taken a...
The Obsession With The New Balance 550 Continues With The “You Need?”
The New Balance 550 almost needs no introduction at this point. Its influence in the modern sneaker game stretches beyond the success of the model...
The New Balance 550 “Pine Green” Is Available Now
While the New Balance 9060 has recently been giving it a run for its money, the New Balance 550 still stands as one of the...
The New Balance 9060 “Clay Ash” Arrives In April
The New Balance 9060 hype isn’t dying down any time soon, as new colorways continue to surface for Spring 2024. The Boston brand’s latest mix...