You might have only noticed the New Balance explosion over the past decade or so, but these footwear manufacturers have actually been around since 1906. That’s a heck of a long time to spend just thinking about feet.
We won’t fault you for only coming up with athletic images in your mind when we say the words New Balance – it’s obviously a huge part of their brand. But what you might not know is that these shoe experts have some style too. So when they hit up The Spoke Club last week to reveal their new Canadian line-up, we knew we had to get the 411 (the kids are still saying that, right?)
Unlike a lot of their competitors, New Balance makes the vast majority of their shoes in the U.S. and the U.K. Yes, this means higher price points, but, more importantly, it also means less sweatshops. If you want to walk around with ethics on your side (and your feet) then New Balance is the shoe of choice.
What’s exciting about this year’s line-up is the introduction of an extended lifestyle collection that includes some pretty fancy kicks. How fancy, you ask? Well, the you’ll-find-them-in-Harry-Rosen-and-Holt-Renfrew kind of fancy. Yes, seriously. New Balance is no longer just about giving you a quality cushion for your long run, they’re also delivering some serious style (not to mention hand-stitched, high-quality leather) to the sidewalk this spring.
Several of these shoes were not available in Canada before now as they were part of the Japanese and European collections. Well, luckily for us, that’s all changed. Whereas we used to be stuck with whatever America got, we now have access to New Balance styles from around the world. It might take some getting used to, but dropping a few bills on a pair of New Balance isn’t as strange as it may have once seemed. In fact, it’s looking more and more like a good idea.
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
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