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
Joe Freshgoods Helms New Balance’s “Conversations Amongst Us” Campaign; Reveals Accompanying 2002R
From creating shirts with a desktop printer to designing his very own New Balance collaboration, Joe Freshgoods has very clearly come a long way. And...
The JJJJound x New Balance 990v3 Releases First On Feb. 24th; Global Launch Follows On March 3rd
We all knew what JJJJound had in store for 2022 even well before the start of the year. That, however, didn’t make the launch of...
END. Covers Its New Balance XC-72 “Art Of Nothing” Collaboration In Elevated Materials
For more than 100 years, New Balance has been associated with high quality. For an upcoming XC-72 duo, the North American brand has upped the...
A Black New Balance 2002R Just Launched Exclusively At One Retailer
While overshadowed in popularity by the New Balance 550, the brand’s 2002R silhouette has steadily garnered attention among savvy sneaker enthusiasts for its clean colorways...
SNS’ New Balance 991 Duo Shows That “There’s More To Flimby Than Making Sneakers”
In just the last three years, Sneakersnstuff (SNS) has launched some of the most celebrated New Balance collaborations of recent memory, but its partnership with...
New Balance Officially Unveils The KAWHI II In “New Money” Colorway
Kawhi Leonard’s partnership with New Balance, one that send shockwaves through the basketball footwear industry, started off with a quiet and stoic bang at All-Star...
New Balance Signs Jack Harlow; Rapper To Debut New Performance Shoe At Celebrity All-Star Game
Ahead of dropping his new single, “Nail Tech,” Jack Harlow has signed with New Balance as the North American brand’s latest ambassador. Over the last...
Joe Freshgoods Teases His New Balance 9060 Collaboration
Amidst rumors of a New Balance 550 — ones he mischievously started — Joe Freshgoods couldn’t help but laugh, as it’s actually a 9060 collaboration...
The Iconic New Balance 574 Gets A Rugged GORE-TEX Update
Debuted in 1988, the New Balance 574 was designed as an unpretentious, super versatile offering. Over 30 years later, the model continues being a go-to...