New Balance (1906)
New Balance: a US footwear company
New Balance is an American footwear company. Founded in 1906 in Belmont, Massachusetts, by William J. Riley, a 33-year-old English immigrant, New Balance Arch Support Company produces orthotic arches and other accessories that improve the fit of shoes.
It was the first to introduce orthopaedic shoes for sports and foot supports to the market. In 1934, Riley began a partnership with Arthur Hall, who resold his products to people who, due to their occupation, spent a lot of time on their feet.
In 1956, Hall sold his part to his daughter Eleanor and her husband Paul Kidd. After 20 years, she launched the Model 320, which was a runaway success among Americans.
By 1979, it landed on the European market and set up its headquarters in England, near Manchester. They continued to sell insole supports until 1961, when they designed the first sports shoe with grooves in the sole for extra grip.
The Trackster brought New Balance a reputation of an innovative company
It was also the first shoe available in various sizes. The Trackster brought the brand a reputation as an innovator and producer of cutting-edge shoes. The still current ‘Endorsed by no one’ philosophy emphasises that a superior product sells much more because of its features and technical qualities, than because of a sports celebrity wearing and promoting it. This is the choice made by New Balance since the 1990s, and never repudiated. Today, the New Balance family also includes the PF Flyers, Dunham, Aravon, Warrior and Brine brands.
In recent years, the well-known footwear brand has managed to keep its US and UK factories open, limiting the production of low-cost products in the Far East, in contrast to competitors such as Nike, Adidas, and Reebok.
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