New Balance Shoes
New Balance is an American sportswear brand based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1906 by William J. Riley, the company is recognized for producing high-quality, comfortable shoes. New Balance shoes have been manufactured in the U.S. and U.K. for over a century, with a history of making arch supports. Popular among runners, the brand is known for its iconic models such as the New Balance Trackster, the first running shoe with rippled soles (1961), the New Balance 320 (1976), the New Balance 990 (1982), and it’s more recent New Balance 2002R (2010). New Balance shoes are not only designed for performance, but also increasingly popular in the lifestyle category, with special collaborations with fashion brands such as Aimé Leon Dore, Bodega, and Kith’s Ronnie Fieg.
The recent dad shoe trend and its well received collaborations has caused a boom in New Balance’s popularity. The New Balance 992, first introduced in 2006 and approved by Steve Jobs, had its first retro run in 2020. New models such as the New Balance 327, launched in collaboration with Casablanca in April 2020, have received praise for their combination of heritage and modern design. Additionally, the brand has also gained attention in the performance-basketball market, with NBA Champion Kawhi Leonard signing with the brand in 2018, and releasing his own signature shoe, the KAWHI in Fall 2020. Furthermore, the brand is now gaining popularity through its vintage basketball shoes, specially New Balance 550 which has been very popular after the appointment of Aimé Leon Dore's Teddy Santis as Creative Director of Made in USA in April 2021.
