Founded in 1906 in Boston, Massachusetts by an Irish immigrant William J. Riley, this today’s multinational business caters to professional athletes and amateur sportsmen all over the world. The eponymous ‘new balance’ is the brand’s goal which has been substantialized by specialist arch supports and orthopaedic footwear being created ever since. With their first running shoe produced in 1938 from kangaroo leather set on a crepe sole, New Balance went on to present iconic 320 and 420 models boasting suede and nylon uppers and foam midsoles in the 1970s and 1980s. Performance technologies interspersed with comfortable upper materials define this sportswear brand, making it one of the most influential players in the market.