New Balance was founded in 1906 by William Riley and originally produced sneakers for runners with crepe soles and kangaroo leather uppers. By the 1940s they had expanded into sneakers for other sports. They believe in the quality of their products and want customers to choose styles they like best rather than assigning names. While New Balance outsourced some production overseas in the late 1980s, they remain one of the last major American brands still manufacturing about 20% of their sneakers domestically. They have produced custom sneakers for notable figures like President Barack Obama.

1. THINGS MAYBE YOU DIDN'T KNOW
ABOUT
I N N O V A T I O N

2. LET'S START

3. 1906 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.

4. 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.

5. ONLY FEW
YEARS LATER
IN 1941,
NEW BALANCE
HAD
BRANCHED
OUT
TO MAKING
SNEAKERS FOR
BASEBALL,
TENNIS, AND
BOXING.

6. S T A N D I N G B E H I N D I T S
P R O D U C T , N E W B A L A N C E
W A N T E D P E O P L E T O W E A R
T H E P R O D U C T B E C A U S E T H E Y
B E L I E V E D I N T H E C O M P A N Y .
Show me a runner whose shoe don't fit
and I'll shoe you a loser
Jim David. President. New Balance Athletic
Shoe.

7. T h e " N " l o g o
w a s n ' t f e a t u r e d
u n t i l t h e ' 7 0 s
w h e n N e w B a l a n c e
r e l e a s e d
t h e model 3 2 0

8. TERRY HECKLER
–DESIGNEROF“NLOGO”-
GAVE NUMBERS
TOTHESNEAKERS
INSTEADOF NAMES
BECAUSE HE WANTED
AN EQUAL PERCEPTION ;
LETTING THE CUSTOMERS
DECIDE THEIR FAVORITES.

9. The late '80s saw New Balance
outsource some of its work to
overseas factories in China,
Korea, and Vietnam.
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.

10. Before he was elected for a second term, New
Balance made a custom pair of 990s for president
Barack Obama, of course, were Made in USA.
Bill Clinton; Steve Jobs; Kanye West; Pharrell; Chris Evans

11. NEW BALANCE'S 620 WAS THE FIRST RUNNING SNEAKER THAT
HAD
THE $50 PRICEPOINT.
THE 990 WAS THE FIRST RUNNING SNEAKER THAT RETAILED
FOR $100.
1978 SAW THE RELEASE OF NEW BALANCE'S FIRST APPAREL
LINE: GORE-TEX RUNNING SUITS, AND NYLON AND MESH TANK-
TOPS AND SHORTS.