Logos Quiz Level 3-2 Answers

About New Balance

New Balance is a footwear company based in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. It was founded in 1906, at which time it was known as the New Balance Arch Support Company, manufacturing shoe accessories rather than shoes themselves. The company was founded by William J. Riley and changed hands several times, eventually owned by Paul and Eleanor Kidd in the 1950s. The Kidds designed “the Trackster,” New Balance’s first shoe, in 1960.

Though the Trackster soon became the YMCA’s unofficial shoe, New Balance had difficulty marketing their products until the 1970s, when running became a national craze in the US. New Balance successfully branded themselves as the fad’s epicenter, greatly expanding their line. Today, New Balance manufactures hundreds of different types and styles of footwear, accessories, and apparel each year. Most of their stock is made in China and Vietnam, but New Balance has committed to producing at least 25% of their merchandise in the US.

New Balance sponsors a number of athletes and sports teams, including several UK cricket players and the soccer team Manchester United. They also sponsor the cyling team Garmin-Sharp and Boston’s bicycle-sharing system, the New Balance Hubway. For several years, New Balance partnered with NBA player Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs, even beginning development on a signature shoe bearing his name. However, Bonner wore the prototype during a game, causing it to fall apart. New Balance soon told Bonner that the shoe had not been ready for use on the court, and that they would soon be ceasing all basketball sponsorship.