A Brief History Of New Balance Shoes

What started as a small arch support company – the brainchild of William J. Riley – has transformed into one of the largest shoemakers in the world. Riley was a British immigrant, and New Balance still retains British roots in some of their branding today. He established the company in Boston, Massachusetts, where the headquarters remains today in the Brighton neighborhood.
For a shoe manufacturer as large as New Balance, the company didn’t begin to make shoes until 30 years after its founding. Riley sold arch supports, which were designed with three support points to improve comfort and shoe fit, a mission that the business continues to carry today. Interestingly enough, Riley came up with the name ‘New Balance’ by watching the chickens in his yard, which he noticed created perfect balance. His biggest market was people who had to stand for long periods of time at work, such as police and firefighters.

As New Balance grew, so did its products. It wasn’t until 1960 when the company shifted focus to athletic sneakers. Before this time, they started to manufacture sneakers but still focused marketing towards the workforce and arch supports. The business was sold to Eleanor and Paul Kidd in 1956, who was the daughter and son-in-law of Arthur Hall, former salesman-turned-partner. Eleanor and Paul released the ‘Trackster’ shoe, which was the first athletic shoe with a ripple sole. Colleges in the Greater Boston area were eager to use this sneaker with their track teams, and then its appeal expanded – mainly by word of mouth – to athletes throughout the rest of the country. While they quickly became popular among runners and track stars, New Balance stood firm in its belief to not sponsor teams or athletes, wanting people to believe in their brand based solely on quality.

As New Balance moved closer to the close of the century, the business evolved into a brand that runners would depend on. In the 1970s, Greater Boston saw an explosion of runners in the area, a trend that drastically boosted business. Since their original Trackster had branded New Balance sneakers as the only running shoe, the company ran ad campaigns to follow suit. They stood firm in their belief that the most important part of a running shoe was the fit and comfort, a value that customers loved then and now.

Today, New Balance has become a worldwide brand for athletes all over the world. Recently, in 2015, New Balance entered the global soccer market to add to their line of specialty sneakers made for individual sports. Even though nearly 30 percent of their products are manufactured in Flimby, England, they are also one of the few shoe companies that make most of their products in the United States, with factories exclusively in Maine and Massachusetts.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.