In the early 1900s, a British emigrant named William J. Riley went on a short walk around his yard. No one could imagine how far it would take him.

While on that walk, Riley found himself surrounded by chickens. He marveled at the creatures, each lumbering along in perfect balance thanks to their unique three-clawed feet. Riley felt inspired and began searching for ways to bring that stability to people. After a bit of tinkering, he created a one-of-a-kind arch support and named it “New Balance.” 

For decades, Riley and his team sold the arches door to door—focusing on tradesmen and women who spent most of their day standing. However, in the 1960s, the company manufactured the first running shoe to feature a rippled sole and varying widths—the ‘Trackster’.

An athletic legacy was born.

Now, over 110 years since their inception, New Balance continues to trail blaze the world of athletic footwear. From their legendary arch supports, to unique materials, to their adoption of word-of-mouth endorsements—the company has consistently defied the norm by sticking to Riley’s core values.

What’s more, they remain the only major footwear company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the United States. 

They only label a shoe “Made in the USA” when at least 70% of its manufacturing is completed in America, Plus, they’re committed to keeping jobs close to home. Currently, New Balance owns two factories in Massachusetts (Boston and Lawrence) and three factories in Maine (Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Norway).

We’re inspired by New Balance. Their ability to grow from a small arch support company to an international athletic-wear leader without forgetting their roots takes guts. That’s why we’re humbled by their sponsorship of American Field.

We thank New Balance for their continued support of our movement, and look forward to seeing them in Boston this weekend.

About New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is the only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 5,000 associates around the globe, and in 2015 reported worldwide sales of $3.72 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com