If 2020 was an excellent year for sneaker releases and delighted sneakerheads, it was also marked by the comeback of an unexpected brand that does not intend to let Nike and Adidas steal the spotlight: New Balance. Trendy and retro, its grand return has marked sneaker culture with silhouettes that quickly became iconic but also with many new models. At the heart of the trend, New Balance has been in the spotlight since 2021 as a leader and does not intend to give its competition any respite.
New Balance: a brand with history
An OG among brands, New Balance was created in 1906, long before the emergence of its competitors such as Adidas, Nike, ASICS...
The label was founded by William R. Riley, a young shoemaker who recently settled in the United States, specifically in Boston. He had the idea to develop a three-point insole later named “new balance” while observing his chickens in his garden. Indeed, he noticed that they had the ability to maintain an extremely stable position on just three claws. Thus, New Balance was born.
With the help of Arthur Hall, the sales manager upon his arrival and future partner, they decided to target professionals in need of comfort and launched the beginnings of the company. From then on, New Balance began producing orthopedic shoes designed to provide better support.
In 1954, Arthur Hall sold New Balance to his daughter Eleanor and son-in-law Paul Kidd after 20 years of activity. The couple continued selling orthopedic shoes until 1961 when the Boston brand underwent a radical change with the unexpected launch of the New Balance Trackster.
Considered the precursor of running, the silhouette of New Balance revolutionized the market thanks to its sizes adjusted for length and width and was recognized as a developed running brand.
New Balance: A brand that became casual
Having become one of the brands dedicated to running shoes, New Balance was propelled to the forefront and quickly captivated almost all runners.
It established itself with quality and comfortable pairs and reached its peak notably thanks to the New York marathon. Indeed, for the occasion, it developed the model NB 320, worn by Tom Flemming, the winner in 1975, which allowed the brand to gain worldwide recognition and subsequently be found on the feet of nearly all its participants.
However, the brand lost some of its standing when it first released the New Balance 550 in 1989, a model dedicated to basketball. Indeed, New Balance attempted to establish itself on the NBA court during its rise by following the trend of low-top releases, but the competition at the time had much better technologies. Thus, the new silhouette of the brand did not meet the expected success and quickly fell into oblivion.
New Balance: A brand that became hype
Over the years, New Balance continued to expand its range. Recently, the brand pushed itself to step out of its comfort zone and no longer be just a casual brand that exclusively offers running and lifestyle pairs.
In 2020, Joe Grondin, collaboration manager at NB, and Teddy Santis, founder of the label Aimé Leon Dore, found the trace of the New Balance 550 in an old Japanese catalog of the brand. After several searches, they even managed to find a vintage pair to perform a total reconstruction of the sneaker.
Upon its release, the fate of the silhouette of the New Balance 550 turned around and ultimately experienced immense success that marked the brand's return to the forefront. By introducing the 550 White Green and the 550 White Black, the Boston brand showcased retro silhouettes that quickly became timeless. New iterations will also be offered in collaboration with the label Aimé Leon Dore and will also enjoy immense success.
New Balance establishes itself as one of the most sought-after brands in the sneaker world thanks to the quality of its pairs, its comfort, but also due to its new creativity. Thus, to offer new and unique models, it did not hesitate to lend its silhouettes to the crème de la crème of designers.
Charlotte Lee, a designer at New Balance, developed the New Balance 327, a futuristic and retro model that instantly became a classic thanks to the fusion of traditional and modern elements. Many new models such as the 237 or the XC-72 have been added to sneaker culture and expand New Balance's unique range. The Protection pack 2002R including the colorways "Phantom", "Sea Salt" and "Rain Cloud" also underwent a complete restructuring and has become one of the references of the Boston brand.
It didn't take long for the running brand to establish itself as one of the sneaker revelations of 2021. With bold colors, New Balance models announce the color of this year and will undoubtedly continue to please with their retro and trendy silhouette.
