New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. nest know as New Balance, is a footwear manufacturer based in Boston Massachusetts. Originally founded as New Balance Arch Support Compa... Keep Reading

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. nest know as New Balance, is a footwear manufacturer based in Boston Massachusetts. Originally founded as New Balance Arch Support Company in 1906 by William J Riley was a manufacturer of arch supports and other accessories designed to improve the fit of shoes. His first product was a flexible arch support which was designed with a three point support in the shape of a triangle. These three points created a better balance making the shoe more comfortable. Riley came up with the triangle design and the name "New Balance" by watching chickens in his yard. He kept a chickens foot in his office to demonstrate the principle. Riley hired Arthur Hall as a salesman in 1927, and in 1934 Hall became a business partner. In 1956 Hall sold the business to his daughter Eleanor and her husband Paul Kidd. The couple continued to sell the arch supports until 1960, when they designed and manufactured the "Trackster," which was the world's first running shoe made with a ripple sole. It was also the first running shoe to be offered in different widths. Many college track team such as MIT, Tufts University and Boston University adopted the New Balance Trackster for their cross-country teams, a trend that was joined by other colleges around the country. New Balance is one of several shoe companies that make some of their products in the United States. Green America states in the New Balance Responsible Shopper company information page that around one quarter of New Balance shoes are made in the United States. New Balance owns five factories in the United States. Two are in Massachusetts, Boston and Lawrence, and three are in Maine, Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Norway. In 1994 New Balance manufactured 70% of its shoes in the United States.