50 Things You Didn't Know About New Balance
A look into one of the greatest and long-standing sneaker brands of all time.
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How did you get into New Balance? Through a rapper co-sign, because you had odd-shaped feet, or because you just love suede sneakers? The footwear brand has been around since 1906 and become one of the most solid and trustworthy suppliers of athletic footwear on the market. But the company didn't just fall into good luck and become the brand it is today, it survived through trends, technological changes, and public perception of athletes to shape its current stake as one of New England's greatest brands.
Through the years, different models have been introduced—consistently raising the ceiling for improvement, but New Balance has always remained true to its philosophy of wanting to make a better sneaker. If you have grey sneakers on your feet and are curious about how they evolved to that point, we have a thorough history lesson for you. Here are 50 Things You Didn't Know about New Balance.
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New Balance wasn't started as a footwear company, in fact, it first sold arch supports.
Sure, we all know New Balance as one of the greatest sneaker companies of all time, but the earliest rendition of the brand wasn't about sneakers at all—it was known as New Balance Arch.
Although New Balance has a strong presence in Maine, and currently operates two factories there, the brand was founded in Boston.
Maine is the hub of shoemaking in not just New England, but America, too. This is evidenced by New Balance's two factories located in the Northeast-most state in the Union, but the brand is actually from Boston, not Maine. The brand's headquarters are still located in the city's neighborhood of Brighton.
New Balance's British roots go back to its founder, William J. Riley, who immigrated to America from England in 1906.
It wasn't until almost 70 years after it's founding (and after William Riley's death) that the brand would expand to England, but the company's identity is almost as much British as it is American.
The name "New Balance" actually comes from founder William Riley observing chickens in his backyard, and how a three-toed foot best supported a body.
In turn, the brand would produce arch supports with three prongs on them based off Riley's observation. To him, this was the "new balance."
In 1927, New Balance sold arch supports for $5: The price of a new pair of shoes.
From its inception, price was never an issue for New Balance. It wasn't about over-charging customers. The brand wanted to create the highest-quality product that could sell for top dollar, not just because it would bring the brand revenue; it would best aid its customer with a superior product.
New Balance's first products weren't sold in retail stores, but rather by a traveling salesman.
Arthur Hall made his name—and New Balance's—visiting customers and selling them the product first-hand. It's this personal touch that would differentiate the brand from the rest of its competition.
New Balance gained its reputation by selling its arch supports to firefighters and policemen.
The local police officers and firefighters of Massachusetts and Rhode Island were some of New Balance's earliest customers. Arthur Hall used to travel to police stations and firehouses and sell his products to men who couldn't be sold on a gimmick.
New Balance survived the Great Depression by offering a niche product, and actually expanded its business as the Depression ended.
The Depression swallowed a lot of businesses whole, especially those who sold products that people couldn't afford. While New Balance's arch supports were pricey for the time, the brand's quality helped it trudge past the hard times and wind up in a better spot than it was in pre-Depression.
New Balance didn't make its first pair of sneakers until 1938, which were made for runners from a crepe sole and a black kangaroo leather upper.
Riley approached a young runner, Danny McBride, who was a member of a local club called the Boston Brown Bag Harriers. #influencer
As a testament to the brand's enduring quality, New Balance first created sneakers because it wanted to make them "more comfortable and serviceable" than other brands.
The brand's attention to quality just didn't pertain to its arch supports. Riley was out to prove that he could make the best sneaker around, too.
Only three years later in 1941, New Balance had branched out to making sneakers for baseball, tennis, and boxing.
Once again, New Balance's name spread due to the brand's quality. At this time, it was even making cleats for the local Major League Baseball team, the Boston Braves.
In 1956, New Balance actually changed its name to "New Balance Orthopedic Laboratory" to appeal towards America's fascination with science.
By this time, the country would be engaged in the Space Race and the Cold War; all eyes were on technology and the factual "hard sell." The brand's new name would be relatively short-lived, but it's a reflection of post-War marketing.
Standing behind its product, New Balance didn't sponsor track teams, it wanted people to wear the product because they believed in the company.
New Balance's quality has always been its top selling point, not a product worn by popular athletes, rappers, or trendsetters. Although this has happened, it was all because they wanted to use the product; not because it was gifted to them. New Balance would later adopt the slogan "Endorsed by No One," and live up to the mantra for quite some time.
New Balance, known for offering its shoes in widths, offered its first wide sneaker, the Trackster, in 1960.
The Trackster is New Balance's first recognizable sneaker. The brand had made sneakers for 22 years prior to the release of the Trackster, but there was something special about this ripple-soled shoe: it was available in different widths. Some brands would like you to believe that everyone has a size 9.5 foot with a D width, but that's far from the truth. New Balance's continuation of establishing a niche market would grow its customer base.
New Balance met resistance from retailers because of the many products and widths it offered; it made sales too complicated.
Stores like a simple, seamless shopping experience for their customers. New Balance's offering of small to large sizes and various widths forced retailers to buy more product, while customers were unsure of buying specialized sneakers. At first, retailers didn't believe in this concept, and still to this day, it's hard to find stores who stock more than D widths for men and B widths for women.
New Balance President Jim Davis once said, "Show me a runner whose shoes don't fit, and i'll show you a loser," in an ad campaign.
This might sound like a declarative statement, but it's true. Once again, New Balance favors fit and performance, and Jim Davis wouldn't be afraid to bring a unique perspective to athletics. However, at this point the sneaker world wasn't nearly as competitive as it is nowadays, but Davis would be preparing himself for the future climate.
Terry Heckler admitted that the Trackster model looked like a "nursing home adidas."
When you're making awesome sneakers, your communications partner can go back and criticize designs from the past—even if they were the ones that put the brand on the map. The 320 was such a departure from the Trackster, that the two models were hardly comparable.
The "N" logo wasn't featured until the '70s when New Balance released the 320.
What's New Balance without its signature "N" logo? Terry Heckler designed the still-used branding, and until this point, New Balance's sneakers lacked their own identity as far as aesthetics went. The N, as simple as it is, wouldn't just change the the look of the sneakers; it would soon launch New Balance to the top of the running world.
The Trackster put New Balance on the map as a running brand, but 1976's 320 is the model made the brand a force in the running world.
The 320 was the start of New Balance as we know it. It wasn't just the first sneaker to bear the "N" logo, it was also the best running sneaker of its day—garnering Runner's World's No. 1 ranking for fit and comfort. Also, it's hard to make a blue suede sneaker wack. Seriously, try it. Styling aside, the 320 was a bold statement to the running world that New Balance was a very serious contender.
Instead of featuring athletes in advertisements, New Balance used "Ma and Pa Balance," old folks that were proto-hipsters, to market its 320 model.
The '70s had come and done away with selling items based on calculated reasons. People wanted ads that made them feel good about themselves. What's better than old people with cool sneakers? The duo of "Ma and Pa Balance" helped enforce the theory that New Balance sneakers were for everyone, not just sport's or society's elite.
Heckler gave numbers to the sneakers instead of names because he wanted an equal perception of each sneaker; letting the customers decide their favorites.
Your favorite pair of sneakers probably has or has been given some ridiculous nickname. New Balance didn't want any of that. The brand assigned numbers to the sneakers to let customers formulate opinions on the sneakers based on their own needs, not what everyone else told them was cool.
Terry Heckler, the designer of the "N" logo, was told it would confuse people with Nike, and Heckler was happy about that comparison.
Most everyone knows the difference between the Nike Swoosh and the New Balance "N" logo, but people who aren't in-tune with the sneaker world see the N and say, "Oh, that's Nike." And Heckler was cool with that. He knew Nike was making way more money than New Balance, and thought the confusion, although not intentional, would bring more money and sales to the brand.
1978 saw the release of New Balance's first apparel line: Gore-Tex running suits, and nylon and mesh tank-tops and shorts.
If you're only checking for New Balance because of its sneakers, than you're missing out on great running gear. The brand offered singlet tops and short shorts that are common to running, but its windbreaker was, and still is, crazy dope. In fact, J.Crew is now selling the same jacket that dropped in '78, and it's still Made in USA, too.
The Flimby factory wasn't New Balance's initial European factory; the brand first set up shop in Tralee, Ireland.
It's tough for New Balance fans to chose between Made in USA and Made in England sneakers, but the brand opened its first European factory in Ireland in 1979. It wouldn't be until 1982 that the brand set up shop in Flimby and consistently made sneakers that U.S. connoisseurs struggled to get their hands on.
New Balance's 620 was the first running sneaker that eclipsed the $50 pricepoint.
Imagine paying only $50 for the best sneakers on the market. When the 620 was released in 1980, $50 was serious change for a pair of lightweight running sneakers, but it gave wearers a thick, cushioned heel that featured a Vibram sole. The sneaker, with its mesh and suede upper, was the most technologically advanced sneaker on the market at the time, and more than replaced the previous 320 model.
New Balance's first basketball sneaker, the Pride 480, was worn by Boston Celtic M.L. Carr. Carr introduced brand president Jim Davis to Celtic's coach Red Auerbach, who was impressed by the brand.
Depending on who you talk to, Red Auerbach is the greatest basketball coach ever. Auerbach coached the Celtics to 10 NBA titles, and one of his players, M.L. Carr, was one of the first NBA players to wear New Balance sneakers in the league.
Carr introduced Auerbach to Jim Davis and legend has it the coach was impressed by how Davis ran his business. To get Red's approval is huge for a Boston-based company, and it holds much weight and prestige even to this day.
James Worthy was signed by New Balance for $1 million, given a signature sneaker: the P740, and busted for soliciting—prompting the brand to drop his contract.
There's always a story about why something happens. Of course, New Balance wanted to stand behind its quality and not have flashy athletes pitching its sneakers. But in 1990, the brand was left with a very sticky situation. It had given Los Angeles Laker star James Worthy a big contract, but then he was caught with a prostitute—an image that didn't set well with Jim Davis. Davis and New Balance cut ties with Worthy and fully stood behind their "Endorsed by No One" image for quite awhile. It's kind of hard to stand behind a man you label as "Trust Worthy" after a situation like this, even if his sneakers were too, too dope.
The brand's goal became to develop the best shoes that could sell for the most money. The 990 was the first running sneaker that retailed for $100.
If people thought $50 was expensive for a pair of running sneakers, two years later in 1982, New Balance was selling its 990 model for $100. Double the price (and sneaker) of the 620. The 990 would become what most people think of New Balance: grey suede, white midsole; a simplistic-looking sneaker that's really well made.
The buttery leather used on a lot of New Balance uppers, like the 990, is actually made from pigskin, not cowhide.
If you're into menswear and benchmade shoes, you've heard the discussion on what types of leather wear the best. For sneakers, if a pair is made from pigskin, there's a buttery softness to the suede not usually found on cowhide leathers. It's little things like this makes a New Balance sneaker so comfortable and long-lasting. Instead of worrying about creased-up sneakers, a pigskin upper with a mesh toebox might be the best way to remedy this ailment.
New Balance isn't just an American-based company, it has licenses in Japan and Great Britain.
You've probably become familiar with super-bright and eccentric sneakers from New Balance Japan or an understated luxury from New Balance England. It's not that the brand just makes different product for different markets, they're actually different companies. Each of the overseas offshoots is a licensing of the brand and not a direct reflection of the Boston-based company, but each country's interpretation of an athletic brand that puts quality before everything else.
The late '80s saw New Balance outsource some of its work to overseas factories in China, Korea, and Vietnam.
Sadly, not all New Balance sneakers are Made in USA, and even not all Made in USA sneakers are 100 percent Made in USA. But to build its brand and compete with other sneaker goliaths, New Balance shifted part of its manufacturing overseas, but still retained all of its U.S. factories.
The a black-and-silver colorway of the 577 was made specifically for the Israeli Army in the '90s.
The 577 is kind of like the 574, but more rare and a lot more badass. This point is proven with the issue of the sneaker to the Israeli Army in a black and silver colorway. These joints are ultra stealth, and if you can get your hands on a pair nowadays, consider yourself lucky.
Bill Clinton was a fan of New Balance sneakers and jogged in the 1500 model.
Of course, the President of the United States should wear an American-made sneaker, it's only right. Also, it's great to see such a stylish sneaker get put to use; there are a couple brands that might be afraid to put their best-looking sneakers through this type of wear test.
Phife Dawg's lyrics "I sport New Balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path," on A Tribe Called Quest's 1991 track "Buggin' Out" was a reference to one of the brand's ads.
We're not sure how wide Phife's feet are, but with his short, compressed frame, it's a definite possibility he needs some EEs. Plus, with his abundance of sports-referencing rhymes, it's not secret that he would need a pair of equally athletic sneakers.
Raekwon rapped on Ghostface Killah's track "Daytona 500," "On the Island, tried to challenge God for the New Bals," proving that Air Jordans weren't the only sneakers people were getting jumped for in the '90s.
There's a twisted perception that Air Jordans and Nikes are the only desirable sneakers in the game, that couldn't be further from the truth. We're not sure if anyone has actually been killed over a pair of 574s, but Raekwon confirmed the brand's street credibility. He has also been known to wear a pair of New Balances or two.
New Balance is the last major American athletic footwear company that still makes its sneakers in America, producing roughly 20 percent of its pairs in New England.
Now, New Balance can't go out and say it's the only brand that makes sneakers in the USA. That would irresponsible. But the brand is the only major athletic brand that still makes a percentage of its shoes in America. The brand's factories are located in Lawrence, MA and Skowhegan and Norridgewock, ME.
Bobbito Garcia, author of the seminal sneaker book "Where'd You Get Those?", claims the New Balance 800 is his lucky sneaker.
Bobbito is the do-everything man and one of the most important people in sneaker and hip-hop culture. His book Where'd You Get Those? helped outline New York City sneaker culture, and he dropped knowledge on rarely heard about sneakers. The DJ/basketball player/writer/sneakerhead recalled a story about seeing a pair of New Balance 800 basketball sneakers at the store, not having any money, biking home to grab some cash, and, luckily, coming back to score the gems. Since then on, Bobbito has called these joints his lucky pair.
The brand's "Made in USA" sneakers aren't 100 percent made in the USA; only 70 percent of each sneaker is.
The mid-'90s saw a legal battle between New Balance and the Federal Trade Commission, with claims that its products shouldn't claim the title "Made in USA." The brand was allowed to keep its American-made claim as it used elements of sneakers that were overseas, but assembled within New England.
2001 saw New Balance acquire legendary sneaker brand P.F. Flyers; famous not only for appearing in "The Sandlot," but also on the feet of another Boston legend, Bob Cousy.
New Balance now owns P.F. Flyers, but it's not the only brand it owns. It's also home to Warrior, Dunham, and Aravon. But the acquisition united two American and Boston legends. Bob Cousy killed it nightly in Boston and helped bring the city six NBA championships, and in recognition of Cousy's greatness, P.F. Flyers brought back his signature sneaker in an all-green colorway. A Boston classic.
2009 saw New Balance move away from its "Endorsed by No One" philosophy.
New Balance was tired of being known as strictly a running brand that people's parents wore, so it wanted to switch things up. The idea was finally allow athletes to endorse the brand, effectively ending "Endorsed by No One." New Balance-sponsored athletes include Miguel Cabrera, (for a time) Matt Bonner, Curtis Granderson, and even an oddly strange collaboration with Heidi Klum.
Steve Jobs loved New Balance sneakers, in fact, that's all he wore.
New Balance 992s were a favorite of Steve Jobs, and who could blame him? The sneaker's grey suede, stability midsole, and overall awesomeness of a high-end runner that's subdued is a win-win situation.
Before Mos Def wore suits, and before people wore New Balances with suits; Mos Def wore 574s and they were fresh.
Mos Def, Yasiin Bey, whatever you want to call him, he's one of hip-hop's most talented wordsmiths. His Black Star album with Talib Kweli is a certified backpack rap classic, and for a promotional photo for the effort, Mos is seen chilling in a pair of 574s. Does it get any better than this?
The MT580 was originally only a Japanese exclusive, but eventually found its way over to the U.S. to spread its chunky love.
The MT580 might be the oddest out of popular New Balance designs. It's a take on the original 580, but made for Japanese consumers. The sneaker's massive amount of stability causes it to have such a chunky midsole, but still won over fans with its not-so-sleek looks. It's like the chubby kid who can get laid. Americans were finally lucky enough to have the MT580 spread over to U.S. releases, although tracking down the earlier Japanese editions is near impossible.
Briefly, in 2009, Kanye West loved to wear New Balance 998s.
New Balance 998s are amazing, and even Kanye West realized this. When Yeezy was still in his Amber Rose days, he had two go-to pairs of 998s, but people most remember him wearing a 997.5 collaboration between New Balance and United Arrows—even sporting the pair in 88 Keys' "Stay Up (Viagra)" video.
Pharrell had a brief New Balance moment, too.
Pharrell is a many of many different styles, but at one point he was really feeling simple 574s. He wore the grey suede and the blue suede/grey mesh make-ups during a couple performances. While it looks like his style is headed nowhere near the sneaker brand, at least we can reminisce on this sneaker moment.
New Balance got caught up in the toning trend too.
Women's toning sneakers were a sham. They swept the sneaker market by force in Holiday '09, but were actually based on false claims. Unfortunately, New Balance was one of the brands that released a sneaker that said it would burn calories and make women's legs look better. In result, New Balance had to settle a class action lawsuit and pay back those who bought the product.
Before he was elected for a second term, New Balance made a custom pair of 990s for President Barack Obama, which, of course, were Made in USA.
Do you see a trend here? If New Balance sneakers are good enough for the top Government official, they're certainly good enough for the people. There's no bells and whistles, just a simple grey sneaker. But the embroidery on the heel is a nice touch.
New Balance has introduced its own 3-D printing system and produced a pair of track spikes as its first project, staying true to its running heritage.
3-D printing is kind of scary—in a good way. One day, hand-stitching shoes might be long gone, but a better running product will be created. New Balance has developed a program, Selective Laser Sintering, that helps runners have a better-made and more precise shoe.
This track shoe features more accurately placed spikes and a better fit based off biomechanical data, motion capture, and advanced mathematics. That sounds like a headache just thinking about. Hopefully, the brand will continue with the grey suede runners, too.
Action Bronson has admitted that New Balance is his favorite sneaker brand; he even wore the Concepts x New Balance 999 "Kennedy" in his "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" video.
It's unfair to say Action Bronson only wears New Balance (even though he said those words himself, he doesn't), but the Queens emcee might have one of the rap game's best taste in sneakers. There's some distinctly '90s about Bronson's flow and image, and a healthy taste for suede running sneakers that's as insatiable as his penchant for vivid imagery.
This year, New Balance launched its skateboarding line, Numeric, and looks to become a serious player in the skate industry.
New Balance's Numeric collection is a serious take on skateboarding shoes, but with hidden technology. The brand has taken some of its most simplistic silhouettes and placed RevLite insoles to offer more cushioning for all the bails, drops, and heel bruises you might incur.