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.
Shopping Links
New Balance
The New Balance 998 “Incense” Just Released Ahead Of Schedule
Updated November 19th, 2024: The New Balance 998 MADE in USA releases on November 21st via NewBalance.com, retailing for $210. Original article published on November...
Jaden Smith Goes “Up In The Clouds” With Next New Balance Collaboration
Jaden Smith is releasing his next New Balance collaboration on November 15th; an “Up In The Clouds” pack comprised of two MSFTSrep 0.01 colorways. In...
New Balance Taps GANNI To Introduce The Fresh Foam Trainer
On top of its increasing foothold in the lifestyle space, New Balance remains acutely focused on the performance aspect, highlighted by its continued push around...
The New Balance 1000 Continues Its Run In “Dark Olivine”
Can the New Balance 1000 rival the mainstream popularity of the 1906 series? That’s certainly a tall task, but the circa-1999 runner has steadily grown...
AVAILABLE NOW: Up There x New Balance 860v2 “Blossom Pink”
Updated November 14th, 2024: Up There just surprise dropped the second colorway of their New Balance 860v2. The pair is available via their website using...
The New Balance 9060 Captures Seasonal “Plum Brown”
While we’ve been incredibly intrigued with retro efforts behind the New Balance 475 and New Balance 1000, there’s still a three-headed monster that leads the...
This New Balance 9060 Can’t Wait To Get Outside
With cold weather breezing over our part of the world, it’s time for us to really start dressing. The workwear/hunting/military surplus aesthetic has become extraordinarily...
Don’t Sleep On The New Balance 9060 “Heron Blue”
The New Balance 9060 rolls on as one of the Boston brand’s biggest stars. It’s equally fit for both verticals of their design philosophy, the...
New Balance 1000 “Magnet” Hits Stores In November
It’s been just over half a year since the Boston brand brought back the New Balance 1000, its retro effort is succeeding; a healthy dose...