If you thought all sneakers were created equally, you haven’t seen a New Balance shoe.
With five New England manufacturing facilities including one in Lawrence, one in Boston, and three in Maine, New Balance proudly employs 1,268 U.S. factory workers and is the only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA. Made in USA styles include the 990 sneaker, the Custom 574, and the Custom 993.
New Balance was started in 1906 with the first shoe being produced in 1938. Today, the company is owned by Jim and Anne Davis and they employ more than 5,000 associates worldwide with 1,268 who work in US factories, who hand cut, stitch and oversee the labor intensive craftsmanship. What makes the brand so special is its family culture with generations of workers having worked here. 1 in 4 shoes sold in the U.S. are made here. While NB is the only athletic footwear company still producing shoes in the U.S. as I mentioned earlier, not all NB shoes are made in USA.
Employees work tirelessly and quickly (with just 22.5 seconds allotted per shoe) on up to five different styles introduced each year. Because a lot of the work is hand done, New Balance has a physical therapist visit the plant twice a week to assist with any issues an employee may be having. They also offer on-site “eggercises” where employees can use egg-shaped stress balls to help with grip issues and build hand muscles. It takes less than three hours from cutting, bonding and a stitchless fusing process (that uses heat to connect the designs) to when a shoe is boxed and ready for inspection to ensure there are no defects
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Sometimes the leather or synthetic materials may contain defects, but the experienced workers here know how to work around the imperfections while making the best and most use out of the leather. (More than 70 percent of all materials are sourced in the United States).
This month, be sure to visit the Boylston Street location to design your own custom shoe. In less than eight days, your creative shoe will be designed and ready for you. the facility makes lifestyle and performance Made in USA styles that are sold worldwide (including Boylston Street location ), as well as that the Custom 574 can be personalized and ordered in less than 8 days.
New Balance is proud to be the only major company to make or assemble more than four million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of their US sales. Where the domestic value is at least 70 percent, they label their shoes Made in the USA.
For more information, visit www.newbalance.com.
