New Balance
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. or simply New Balance, is a shoe manufacturer based in Boston. It was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company, and has since grown to become one of the world's largest manufacturers of athletic shoes.
Brand Histoy
The New Balance we know today began as New Balance Arch Support Company - a Massachussetts-based company founded in 1906 by WIlliam J. Riley. The company's initial product offering was exclusively orthopaedic products, notably arch supports and other prescription footwear. Then in 1934, Arthur Hall joined the company. Hall had previously made a living selling supports to those with physically demanding jobs, and he brought New Balance into this market.
The company continued to grow, and by the 1950s its products had a reputation for superior support and quality. Athletes began approaching the company requesting footwear. When the company was sold to Hall's daughter and her husband Paul Kidd, the company began to shift gears - focusing more and more on athletic products. Athletic shoes soon became the company's best selling offerings.
New Balance was again sold in 1972, this time to entrepreneur Jim S. Davis. Davis contined to expand the company, and while the company was still small, it had made a global name for itself, as the company's 320 model won first place in the Runner's World magazine awards.
Today, New Balance has become one of the world's largest manufacturers of athletic shoes. The company has expanded and sells shoes for a variety of sports, including basketball, tennis, and hiking.