New Balance: Back to School Styles for Sporty Kids
Founded in Belmont, Massachusetts in 1906, New Balance Athletic Shoes Inc. has always offered a wide range of styles and sizes. But it was not until they achieved success in the athletic footwear market that they started offering shoes to athletes of all ages.
In the beginning, the company was called the New Balance Arch Company. They manufactured arch supports and orthopedic shoes for a small, but loyal group of customers. In fact, for the first fifty years, the company rarely made a profit. It was not until they turned their attention to athletic footwear in the early 1960s that New Balance had its first taste of success.
The sporting goods market in America was growing rapidly and athletic footwear was one of its most popular segments. At the time, most of the companies in the industry were like New Balance: niche players. But the reason New Balance is now the world's fifth largest maker of athletic footwear is because they were able to distinguish themselves from the pack.
How did they do this? As we mentioned, New Balance began as a specialty shoemaker that manufactured orthopedic shoes for clients with special needs. To accommodate these customers, the company often had to produce shoes in strange or irregular sizes. If, for example, a person had painful bunions and needed wide-toed shoes, New Balance would make them a shoe that was much wider than they could find in the average shoe store.
They brought this same approach to their new line of athletic shoes by offering footwear in the widest possible range of sizes. Most of their early models were available in lengths up to size 20 and widths from AA to EEEE. This was unheard of in the 1960's when athletic footwear first became popular and it is still quite rare today.
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At the start, all of the early models were designed for professional runners. But when Tom Fleming won the New York City Marathon in 1975 in a pair of New Balance 320s, the company wisely decided to expand the line. New models were designed for recreational runners who were looking for a durable pair of shoes that could be used for regular workouts.
New Balance expanded its line once again in the 1980s to include models for kids and teenagers. The company even sells running shoes in infant and preschool sizes. New Balance initially entered the market because they wanted to appeal to as many different customers as they possibly could, and they had. But they certainly didn't expect to make a much of a profit at it.
Today, New Balance is in the number four spot for kids' athletic footwear, which means the kids' line is actually doing better than the adult line! After several years of double-digit growth, the company expanded its line yet again to include new running and cross-training models for kids. Let's take a moment to review their latest offerings.
New Balance shoes for kids are available in four different groups of sizes—crib (sizes 0-3), infant (sizes 2-10), pre-school (sizes 10.5-3), and grade school (sizes 3.5-7). Most kid's shoes are based on popular adult models of the past with their own unique style and flair.
The New Balance 515 is one of the most popular shoes for youngsters that the company offers. It is a lightweight cross-trainer, which means that it can be worn anywhere. The design is quite stylish and it is available in a wide range of widths. But because it is a cross-trainer, it only comes in grade school sizes.
As any parent of a preschooler can tell you, their kids do a lot of running. And with the New Balance 687 their little footsies will be properly protected. The 687 is a made of premium leather mesh with a durable outsole and a stylish look. It is running shoe that is only available in preschool sizes.
Who said infants can't run? The New Balance 993 is a certified bestseller that is a much smaller version of the classic 993 running shoe. The shoe has extraordinary shock absorption with the brand's trademarked ABZORB cushioned heel. It also offers a lightweight and permeable suede and mesh body and a rubber outsole that won't mark up the floor. It is available only in infant sizes in navy and gray.
The New Balance 7500 is a superior running shoe designed for preschoolers. Pulse cushioning in the heel absorbs shock when your child skips rope or does or plays hopscotch. Do kids still play hopscotch? And the non-marking rubber outsoles, well, they won't mark up your floors. The shoes also feature forefoot flex grooves, which prevent slippage and allow for maximum flexibility. They are available in grade school sizes in navy and black.
Although they first became popular for their performance athletic shoes, New Balance now offers a wide range of comfortable styles for the whole family. Let your kids try out a pair when they head back to school.
Miguel Bautista is a freelance writer who writes about a variety of topics and brands such as New Balance shoes
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