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 327 Is Releasing Soon in “Wax Blue”
Since being introduced to the world by way of its collaboration with Casablanca, the New Balance 327 has taken the world by storm as it...
New Balance Announces Pride 2020 Collection
New Balance has recently announced its commitment to LGBTQ+ issues ahead of Pride Month 2020. In addition to its continued support of GLSEN, an organization...
The New Balance 327 Surfaces In Vibrant Orange
Since launching with the help of Casablanca, the New Balance 327 has split its time between collaborations and general releases. The latter, which boasts an...
The New Balance 327 Appears In Rust Brown
Swiftly becoming a headlining silhouette for the “dad shoe experts”, the New Balance 327, in its short lifespan, has already amassed quite the amount of...
The New Balance 327 Mixes And Matches Colors For Pride Month
Though primarily known for their heritage silhouettes, New Balance has ushered in some newer and novel ideas these past few years. Among noteworthy collaborations as...
size? Has A New Balance 327 Collaboration In The Works
European retailer size? and North American stalwart New Balance continue their respective collaborative streaks as they team up on the New Balance 327. The model,...
The New Balance 327 Is Releasing In Three Colorways This May
These past few months, New Balance has undoubtedly been on a roll, releasing a high reselling collaboration with Tetsu’s WTAPS while debuting the New Balance...