History of the New Balance brand

PRODUCTS   MODELS

How far back does the history of the New Balance brand go? In 1906, a young English immigrant, William J. Riley, founded the New Balance Arch Support Company in Boston, Massachusetts. It specializes in the production of a flexible arch insert to provide customers with greater comfort and "new balance". It is said that the founder came up with the name and concept of New Balance while observing chickens in the backyard. He was inspired by the balance of flightless birds to create a special support arch for the foot.

In 1938, New Balance produced their first ever spiked running shoe , with a kangaroo leather upper, which they supplied to the local Boston Brown Bag Harriers running club. 1941 the company expands its range with special shoes designed for sports such as tennis, boxing and baseball. In 1953, Eleanor and Paul Kidd bought the New Balance company and imbued it with a whole new energy. Introduced in 1960, the Trackster model was the first New Balance shoe to cross the finish line of a marathon and is also the first shoe available in multiple widths to symbolize performance and style.

In 1972, Jim Davis took over ownership of the company with six employees, producing 20-30 pairs of shoes a day and annual sales approaching $1 million. In 1976 , the 320 model is launched and New Balance adds its iconic "N" to the shoes. Sales of the 320 are skyrocketing as the shoe is voted the number one running shoe on the market by Runner's World magazine.

Model 320
Runner's World
Obama New Balance

In 1978, they present a model line with GORE-TEX® technology. In 1980, it launched the 620 model, which at the time was the lightest and most advanced running shoe on the market. In 1982, they present the legendary 420 model, and in the following years, New Balance reaches 1 billion dollars in sales. 1993 launches the 1500 model, which continues to sell well, thanks to being worn regularly by US President Bill Clinton. The New Balance 991 was worn by the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

In 2006, New Balance partnered with Offspring and released the NB X Offspring series, a first ever collaboration for New Balance. In 2009, they open the New Balance Sports Research Lab in Lawrence to advance their new products and innovations through the study of athletes, biomechanics and sports. Before the US presidential election, they are designing a unique shoe for President Barack Obama. The 990 'Made In USA' shoes are specially made before his re-election in 2012. 2015 they enter the tennis industry thanks to ambassadors Milos Raonic and Heather Watson.

Innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, along with quality, craftsmanship and a dose of risk-taking, are still the driving force behind their global business success today. Since the 1970s, they have sought to build a values-based society imbued with a culture of respect and responsible leadership. New Balance's core values are teamwork, integrity and overall customer satisfaction. They invest in their associates to nurture their skills, talents and deliver their best performance.