| New Balance Athletic Shoes, Inc. is an American | | | | was to advertise New Balance products to people |
| footwear company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It | | | | whose jobs required them to spend long hours |
| began existence as New Balance Arch Support | | | | standing. According to the New Balance website, the |
| Company and exclusively sold arch supports and | | | | company's primary customers at that time were police |
| other shoe accessories. In the 1970's New Balance | | | | officers and waiters who were desperate for |
| expanded to include specialized shoe design. Today | | | | orthopedic relief. |
| New Balance Athletic Shoes, Inc. includes the brands | | | | Although Riley's daughter and son-in-law designed the |
| Dunham, PF Flyers, Aravon, Warrior and Brine. | | | | first New Balance tennis shoe in 1961 (it was called the |
| New Balance Arch Support Company got its start in | | | | "Trackster"), New Balance did not enjoy success in the |
| 1906 when William J. Riley, a 33 year old English | | | | arena until the company switched hands to Jim Davis. |
| immigrant to the States, set up shop in Boston, MA. | | | | The handover was well timed. The US was just about |
| The original company only sold accessories designed | | | | to launch into the jogging craze of the 1970s, and |
| to make people's shoes fit better. Arthur Hall joined the | | | | Boston was at the epicenter of the storm. In fact, |
| company in 1934. He is largely responsible for designing | | | | Davis purchased New Balance on the day of the |
| New Balance's marketing strategy at that time, which | | | | Boston Marathon in 1972. |
