A Brief History of the New Balance Brand

Starting as an arch support enterprise in 1906, New Balance has reached the level of one of the largest sports companies today, distributing shoes and apparel in more than 120 countries worldwide. With its designs, the brand helps athletes pursue perfection, whether they are professionals who set world records, novice athletes, or just people who want to lead healthier and more active lifestyles.

What distinguishes New Balance from its competitors is that the brand does not rely on marketing prowess but the quality of its products. For this reason, the company still maintains a significant manufacturing presence in the United States and the United Kingdom these days.

Like many other major brands, New Balance has a rich history, and in this article, we will tell what events led to the success of the American brand.

Founding the New Balance Arch Support Company

The company began its journey to worldwide fame in 1906 when Irish immigrant William J. Riley launched a small shoe insoles business in Boston called the New Balance Arch Support Company. Legend says that Riley got the idea to start his business accidentally while he was watching chickens walking in his backyard. Inspired by how they managed to stay balanced on their three-toed feet, he created flexible arch support with three control points.

By 1927, William was ready to spread his designs to the masses. The entrepreneur hired a salesman Arthur Hall, who eventually became his business partner. At that time, the New Balance Arch Support Company did not yet have footwear products, they were entirely focused on selling arch support for people who spend most of their day standing or walking (retail workers, firefighters, and police officers.) Hall personally visited customers and sold them products first hand, and it was this personalized approach made the brand different from the rest of the rivals.

New Balance released its first shoes in 1938, specifically for a local running club. It had a crepe sole and kangaroo leather top. Only three years later, the company expanded its product range with models designed for such sports as tennis, boxing, and baseball. Believing in their product, the brand wanted people to buy their shoes for their quality, not that famous athletes, rappers, or trendsetters wear them.

In the early 1950s, Arthur Hall became sole owner of New Balance, and in 1956 he sold the company to his daughter Eleanor and her husband, Paul Kidd. Initially, the new owners kept the company’s primary focus on selling orthopedic shoes, but soon they became interested in developing sports models tailored to the specific athletes’ needs. As a result, in 1961, the brand released its first sneakers, called the Trackster. The model was the world’s first pair with a grooved sole; moreover, it was available for feet of different sizes.

This step succeeded and enabled New Balance to enter a more promising market that offered more growth potential than orthopedic shoes and arch supports. Kenneth Cooper, the creator of aerobic exercise, who ran the 1972 Boston Marathon in sneakers, was the first celebrity who appreciated the benefits of the Trackster shoes. At the same time, one more important event happened in the brand’s destiny – Eleanor and Paul Kidd sold the company to Jim Davis. The young entrepreneur immediately embarked on a change in management strategy, aiming to increase production scale, and launched a network of sales offices across the country.

The Development of New Balance

Jim Davis got lucky because the Boston area was the center of the running boom in the United States in the 1970s. Many Americans put it down to a passing thing but running as a hobby continued to gain popularity until the late 1980s, providing New Balance with a platform to produce more and more running shoes every year.

As the company gained popularity, it needed a recognizable symbol, and Davis hired designer Terry Heckler. First, Terry created the iconic “N” logo and then introduced a numbering system for the models, with numbers identifying the type of shoe, the kind of activity it was designed for, and whether the sneakers were designed for sustainability or speed.

The first New Balance sneaker with a large slanted “N” was the M320 running model released in 1976 with a nylon tongue and a tight-fitting quarter. To promote the silhouette, the Boston-based company developed an unusual strategy called “Ma and Pa Balance.” Instead of using images of professional athletes in its advertising, New Balance focused on older people. “Ma and Pa Balance” helped reinforce the theory that New Balance sneakers are for everyone, not just the athletic or social elite.

In the first year of sales, Runner’s World magazine recognized the silhouette as the number one sneaker on the market, and track and field athlete Tom Fleming finished first in the Boston Marathon in it. After that, sales of the 320 skyrocketed, signifying New Balance’s global breakthrough.

In 1978, New Balance released its debut clothing collection, including tracksuits with Gore-Tex membrane, nylon and mesh jerseys, and shorts. Two years later, the company introduced the 620 sneakers model, which reached the $50 price tag for the first time. However, if people thought $50 for a pair of running shoes was pricey, then in 1982, New Balance launched the 990, raising the price barrier of sneakers up to $100. But the quality and technology used in the model justified such a high price tag for that time.

The New Balance 990 design differed from previous iterations, so the sneakers were equipped with a stabilization insert in the heel, heavy-duty rubber, and a multi-layer outsole. In addition, they were made of premium gray suede, a look that became iconic not only among runners but also outside of the athletic world. The brand itself didn’t expect much success; nevertheless, 5,000 pairs were sold in six months, though the company was projected to achieve a similar result in one year. The popularity of the debut pair marked the beginning of the 99X line, which now includes five versions.

New Balance: Made in the USA

Unfortunately, not all New Balance sneakers are made in the USA, and not even all “Made in USA” sneakers are 100% made in the USA. In the late 1980s, under the pressure of globalization, New Balance moved some of its production overseas, signing contracts with factories in China, Vietnam, and Korea, but still kept all of its American factories located in Massachusetts and Maine.

Among the models produced in American New Balance, factories are 1400, 990v4, 997, 998, 1540v2, and many others. To ensure that the pair was made in the USA, it is enough to study its characteristics on the website. Besides, almost all such models have the “Made in USA” label. Nevertheless, this inscription does not mean that the sneakers were entirely made in America. New Balance claims that 1 out of every 4 pairs of sneakers they sell was made or assembled in

American factories. The key phrase here is “made or assembled,” some of the consumables and fittings the company imports from China and other parts of Asia, so only 70% of the sneaker’s construction consists of locally sourced components.

The sports brand also has a factory in the U.K., which opened in 1982. The “Made in U.K.” line is known for its high-quality materials and meticulous attention to detail. Currently, the Flimby factory produces an average of 28,000 pairs per week. Among them, such iconic models as the 574, 991, 670, and 1500. You can check the manufacturing country by seeing the British flag or the “Made in England” inscription on the model.

New Balance Today

Today New Balance is a multinational corporation headquartered in Boston. Jim Davis still leads the company and now produces a variety of sneakers and apparel, including specialized products for sports such as soccer, cycling, basketball, and cricket. New Balance uses its innovations to create better products. For example, ABZORB technology absorbs shock and withstands pressure, lightweight FRESH FOAM material gives the foot flexibility and makes a smooth roll, while extra tough Ndurance carbon rubber guarantees high durability.

Over the past few years, New Balance has dramatically expanded its customer base by collaborating with various designers and brands. For example, the company released the gray and blue 992 sneakers with the KITH brand. The Ronnie Feig model was immediately sold out and now exceeds the $800 mark on the secondary market. The New Balance 992 was also released in the militaresque WTAPS aesthetic, a silhouette that was incredibly hard to find, as it was only available in retail stores of the Japanese streetwear brand. Within just a few days of its release, the sneaker’s price on StockX had surpassed the $1,000 price threshold. However, high prices for New Balance products are not something new; it’s standard for models made in the U.S. or Britain to retail for $200-$300 due to premium materials.

The dad shoe trend and partnerships with New York-based high streetwear brand Aimé Leon Dore and Montreal-based designer JJJJound have reinforced New Balance’s relevance in the streetwear and footwear industries. And collaborations with Junya Watanabe, Casablanca, and Salehi Bemburi contributed to the announcement of new models and increased the company’s presence in the fashion industry.

Another part of New Balance’s success over the past few years has been that the brand has begun allowing professional athletes to endorse the brand, including baseball players Miguel Cabrera and Curtis Granderson and basketball stars Matt Bonner and Kawai Leonard.

New Balance has also partnered with Jaden Smith, allowing the American actor and rapper to interpret the brand’s products through his perspective. In January 2021, Smith unveiled his signature sneakers made with vegan and sustainable materials.

According to the company’s representatives, New Balance will not slow down in the next few years and plans to expand and develop the brand in new and exciting ways.