New balance sneakers: the story of the legend and the best models

Shoes should be comfortable, reliable, stylish, emphasize the advantages of the owner’s appearance and hide flaws. Recently, we briefly talked about the famous sports brands that produce products that meet all these requirements. Today we will talk about one of the leaders of the American market – a manufacturer of sports shoes new balance…

How the chicken paw became the foundation for the American dream

This story began like millions of others. Just as Isaac Newton discovered the Law of Gravity after an apple fell on his head, the young Englishman William Riley made his discovery while observing a chicken. At 33, he moved to America without any special plans and goals, but with a great desire to change his life for the better. Nature itself gave him an idea for a future business. Walking in the yard, Riley watched the hen lean on three points and keep her balance confidently. Inspired by this observation, he created an instep support for shoes that allowed a person’s foot to rest on three points like a chicken paw. In 1906, a company opened in Belmont, Massachusetts. New balance arch, based on the invention of William Riley. The instep supports were popular with men and women, all those whose work required spending a lot of time on their feet.

A pair of shoes from the young brand then cost $ 3.5, which in modern money is about 65 US dollars.

It is not known how the story developed and how the story could have ended New balanceif in 1927 the founder of the company had not joined the American armed forces. There he met Arthur Hall, who supplied orthopedic shoes to government agencies, and who hired Riley to work as a salesman. Unlike other businesses of the time New Balance Arch Support Company did not sell her products in stores, but carried them from door to door.

In the 1930s, Hole and Riley became business partners and began producing shoes. According to one of the versions, baseball players were the first to contact the company, who needed more comfortable shoes for games. The first boots were created by their order. New balance… In parallel, William Riley is making spikes for runners from the club Boston brown bag harriers… Then all products were created by hand in a small workshop, the number of employees in which did not exceed 10 people. Arthur Hole personally represented the goods. In the 50s, he headed the company, and in 1956 the business passed to his daughter Eleanor and son-in-law Paul Kidd. The new owners did not strive to expand and enter new markets and continued, modestly, but with high quality, to do their favorite thing: to develop instep supports and small batches of footwear.

In the 50s, humanity began to recover from the upheavals and hardships of the Second World War. Sport and, in particular, running went beyond the professional community and entered the masses. People began to run just for health and pleasure, which was possible only in high-quality shoes that would help keep balance. In 1960, the company began to produce the first models new balanceknown as Trackster… This running shoe immediately became popular thanks to its distinctive, embossed sole. Dimensions in trackers differed not only in length, but also in the fullness of the foot, which made this model available to a wide range of consumers. So, sneakers New balance were in high demand among school and university athletics teams.

Perhaps, new balance it would have remained a modest six-man business that made, packaged and mailed footwear to customers had it not been bought out by Jim Davis on the day of the Boston Marathon in 1972. Then Boston was the capital of the rampant running fever that reigned in the United States. In the late 70s, sneakers hit Washington DC and sales skyrocketed. Staying true to the main idea of ​​the brand, the new owner tried to individualize the products and not lose quality. Later, models began to appear with numbers indicating the type of activity for which the shoe was designed and speed or stability. 1976 saw the introduction of the first logo running shoe known as new balance 320. The shoe was made of nylon suede. After log Runner’s world recognized this model as the best for runners, it became a hit of sales.

In the 80s, the company became famous all over the world. Her catalog includes footwear for walking and clothing for everyday life and sports.

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From history to modern times

Today the company employs about 6,000 people. Since 1990, total profits have been $ 69 billion. As writes new balance Wikipedia, the prices for the products of this brand are higher than those of other manufacturers. This difference is offset by high quality and technological innovation. For example, the laces are made from a special material that prevents them from coming loose even during the most intense workout. In the heel area, there is an innovative insert for extra cushioning. While maintaining the required level of cushioning, it reduces the lift and weight of the shoe. Confidence in any terrain is given by the outsole, which is universal in design and tread composition. Flexibility is provided by lateral grooves along the entire length and lateral parts of the outsole. Grip is improved by inserts in areas of increased stress. Thanks to technology NB Heat, it is possible to train outdoors even under the most unfavorable conditions. Sneakers keep warm and dry quickly. Bad smell? Forget it! new balance have already taken care that it does not occur, and treated the sneakers with a special antibacterial compound.

Winter sneakers new balance look stylish, provide comfort and warmth, ideal for everyday wear and sports in extreme weather conditions. All sneakers are equipped with a cushioning sole REVITE… A textile pad protects sensitive feet from blisters and chafing. Toes are virtually impossible to injure thanks to the one-piece leather toe cap.

Brand production and positioning

Until 2000, the company’s products were incompatible with street style and everyday life. With the beginning of the new millennium, a new era began in the history of the brand, which can be conventionally called the era of shoes for everyone. Under this motto new balance still works. If competitors in every possible way attract celebrities to their advertising campaigns, then the American brand abandons this approach and increasingly focuses on mere mortals with a certain level of wealth. Despite high competition and all the laws of marketing, this strategy works. In 2013, the company took the third place in the ranking of sports footwear manufacturers and won 11% of the market.

In 2014-2015, men’s and women’s sneakers new balance have become a must have in the wardrobe of fashion-conscious people. Today it is difficult to say exactly when this happened and what was the reason. Perhaps such popularity among the masses was provoked by the stars, who increasingly appeared in shoes from NB (free!) and the trend for sneakers in style looks casual, casual sport and even smart casual…

According to the advertisements, the American brand’s footwear is worn in London and Ohio. So, Steve Jobs in the last years of his life almost never parted with sports shoes from the American brand.

Also in sneakers NB have seen Rihanna, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian more than once, see photo by Jack Backgrid:

The company provides football players from the club Liverpool shoes for training and matches. In July of this year, the Dynamo Kiev footballers presented the form from New balance for 2021-22. 2013 model NB 1260 became the best in the category “stability” according to the magazine Runners world…

American presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama wore new balance sneakers

Where are sneakers made? new balance

20% of all products are manufactured in the USA. The company prides itself on home production and often claims this advantage over its closest competitors in advertising. This pride can be clearly seen in the inscriptions made in USA or “Roll up your sleeves and keep promoting America as seen in American factories. Also, factories of this company are open in the UK and Asia. Sneakers with label made in USA are $ 100-200 more expensive than shoes made in other countries.

In fairness, we note that the inscription is only 70% correct. Approximately 30% of the sneaker is made in Asia. This is part of the fittings and consumables.

new balance 2021: new items and the best models of the year

In March of this year, the company presented a pair at number 237 in collaboration with the Casablanca brand. This model first appeared in the spring-summer collection lookbook. The shoes are made of mesh and nylon. The outsole is slightly lengthened and the heel is pointed. The new couple’s logo features a new monogram Casablanca and the letter N in beige and pink colors. The designers of the label themselves NB experimented with the classic silhouette New balance 574 and released a new model with the number 57/40. Now suede sneakers are equipped with a leather shell and a multi-layer sole. The rubber and foam base has accents in contrasting neon hues.

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Beware of counterfeits

The popularity of the brand has provoked many unscrupulous manufacturers to create low-quality copies. How to distinguish the original new balance sneakers from the fake?

When buying sneakers, pay attention to the following details:

• Logo glowing in ultraviolet

Shine a UV flashlight on the tag located inside the tongue. If you have the original in front of you, the trademark logo will definitely appear. The exception is the British-made models.

The box label must include the model name, color code, barcode, and size for the US, UK, and Europe. The packaging barcode must match the one on the inside of the tongue.

• Packing color

Typically, NB branded boxes are painted in blue-red or red-white colors. UK models are supplied in unpainted cardboard boxes.

• Workmanship quality

Glue streaks, crooked seams and loose threads indicate that you bought a fake model.

• Label sewn on the back of the tongue

It must contain the country code of the manufacturer, size and article. Original shoes are made in Great Britain, USA, China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Sneakers from another country cannot be original products in any way. NB…

The most reliable way to distinguish branded shoes from fake ones is to go to the website. New balance and look for the purchased model there. If the search does not return any results or sneakers look different, they have nothing to do with a well-known brand.

• Buy new balance only in the brand stores.