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
New Balance’s Made In England “Fall Pack” Highlights Orange And Brown Across The 577 And 1500
On the collaborative front, New Balance has set itself part from other players in the sneaker space, as it’s created compelling product, campaigns and partnerships...
The New Balance 577 Spearheads The Brand New “Desaturated Pack”
The amount of winners that New Balance has produced in the past few months is abundant. With every release, the brand proves they’re more than...
A Warrior Friendly New Balance Made In UK 577 Appears In Supple Suede And Mesh
Perhaps because New Balance has been incredibly busy in terms of putting a substantial amount of energy between silhouettes like the 992 and 327, the...
The New Balance Made In England “Supply Pack” Is Available Now
As a recent collaboration with Aimé Leon Dore has warranted it much attention, New Balance continues to do what it does best: produce quality-made footwear...
The New Balance 577 Made In UK Stands Out With Pops Of Color
New Balance’s growth these past few years is undeniably impressive — their collaborative range spanning JJJJound to COMME des GARCONS. And within that spectrum, there...
New Balance Color-Matches The 577 “Year Of The Rat” To The Zodiac Animal
Chinese New Year, even days before its start, has kicked off the new year on good footing, with labels the industry over crafting their own...
HANON And New Balance Celebrate 19th Collaboration With The “Flimby Legend”
Landing on their 19th collaboration together, HANON and New Balance become gradually closer, celebrating what has become a shared heritage thanks to their long-running and...
Highsnobiety Draws From The Ulam Spiral With Their Collaborative New Balance 577
Teaming up for the first time ever, editorial imprint Highsnobiety and New Balance take the 577 silhouette for a spin down the Ulam Spiral, drawing...
Sneakersnstuff And New Balance 577 Celebrate Their Growth Through The Years With Limited Collaboration
30 years have passed since the New Balance 577 first arrived to market and 20 years have gone by since Sneakersnstuff opened their first set...