Walking in New Balance

The brand New Balance was created in 1906 (however they didn’t actually sell a pair of shoes until the 1960’s) in Boston Massachusetts with a focus of quality footwear. It is one of the leading brands today, being sold in over 120 countries all across the globe. They are a staple brand for shoe lovers having different styles for every individual and every occasion. However, I do believe that the best use of any New Balance shoe is every day wear due how comfy they all are.

Over the years they have grown at a steady pace, although not reaching the level of sales that the trainer giants Adidas or Nike gained. Throughout the 1980’s New Balance were marketed as a high end sports shoe brand due to their premium materials and technology. An example of this is their model 990 shoe which was launched in 1982 at a premium price of $100, appealing to the luxury footwear market (they have since released 6 versions of this style).

(990 v2 Made in the USA)

The brand took a dive in the 2010’s as the younger generated had no interest in the so called ‘dad shoe’. The brand was no longer seen as expensive or luxurious and was now seen as embarrassing as the only people seen wearing them was older men or dads. As the brand focused their efforts quality and comfort, they missed out on the younger market who were searching for a sleek, streetwear, trendy shoe.

The brand had a renaissance in the 2020’s when many celebrities were spotted wearing these previously ‘embarrassing’ shoes – Gigi Hadid, Timothee Chalamet, Zoe Kravits and Chris Pine to name a few. The newer style 327 were also used during the 2020 Paris faction week by the Casablanca fashion house boosting the exposure of this dormant brand. They now appeal to all ages with their diverse catalogue of styles, targeting the older generation through the great comfort and quality and the younger generation through the low prices and trendiness. As the newer trend is the ‘dad shoe’ it gives new balance the perfect time to shine. What previously made them loose their popularity is what actually put them back into trend.