In the last few years, New Balance sneakers are being appreciated and valued also from younger generations. Far from what people might think, the brand’s comeback is not explained by the fact that several talents chose to wear and boast them on media. New Balance’s success resides on its history, its craft and its principles.
New Balance was born with the purpose to solve the working class’ feet problems. The brand’s early products were not sneakers but adequate arch supports to relief this sector’s feet pain due to hard work. This origin might be the best explanation for New Balance’s clear focus on quality, taking care of each detail in their design to achieve a high comfortable piece with every model.
Quality above all
Furthermore, the brand manufactures in Flimby, United Kingdom (the line Made in UK) and in the United States (the line Made in USA). Disassociating themselves by doing so from the rest of the companies whose manufactures are located in countries like India or Vietnam. They always use high quality materials, among which we can find nubuck, suede, leather, premium nylon and other textiles.
The technology and performance differ with each specific model, but they always keep up with their own quality standards. The Vibram sole is one of New Balance’s most characteristic features for an excellent grip, as well as the ENCAP midsole. This system consists of a combination of polyurethane foam and a EVA core. This results in a great capacity for shock absorption and rebound. The ENCAP technology provides the needed cushioning on every step, guaranteeing stability and durability.
A special marketing
Apart from that, New Balance’s marketing focuses on achieving that their products speak for themselves. They don’t pay celebrities to say how good their sneakers are. On the contrary, they focus on making their sneakers so good that it’s impossible not to say so. The famous Steve Jobs moment in 1982 included, when he proudly wore the first model over $100 in history, the 992. Their most iconic marketing moment was with James Worthy. He was only celebrity officially supporting the brand, when he promoted the Hightop 740 model.
New Balance’s trajectory is more than enough to understand that this is a brand that will always survive by itself. A demonstration that quality and craft are still, luckily, guarantees of success.
