Nobody Is Doing Sneakers Like New Balance MADE in USA

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I've never really put much thought into where the sneakers I wear are being produced. When I'm lacing up my shoes, I don't find myself wondering where the laces came from, or how long it took for the upper of the shoe to be stitched to the lower, or what the production—despite it dictating the overall quality of my shoes—is like. Last month, though, that all changed.

New Balance is the brand that needs no introduction. You know its fantastic performance gear, and you know its sneakers, too, whether you prefer them for basketball or running or just living life. In April, I ventured to Boston to visit New Balance's headquarters, as well as its factory in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where the brand's Made in USA shoes come from—these include the iconic 990's, the 993's, the 996's, and the 998's. You know, your favorite classic lifestyle shoes.

Here's what I learned when I was up in Lawrence: New Balance's Made line is doing it like no other. Well, in terms of quality, craftsmanship, history, and innovation, that is. So if those are things you care about in your shoes—and they absolutely should be—then you should be paying attention to what New Balance is doing.

You should also know, if you're buying Made shoes, that at least 70 percent of all materials in them are sourced and produced within the United States. New Balance prioritizes its longstanding relationships with local suppliers, so much so that the leather in the Lawrence factory comes from a tannery right in Boston.

While the Made line includes a handful of sneaker styles, the 990's are undoubtedly the star of the show—the ones that started it all, that put New Balance on a path of standing apart from all the other sneakers out there. See, back in 1982, the first ever 990's launched. (They were dubbed so because "on a scale of 1,000, these shoes are a 990.") In a sea of boring, unconventional white that had drifted over from the '70s and newer, flashier '80s neons, they were a timeless shade of gray suede, one that you could freely scuff up, one designed to blend into the concrete of an urban environment—plus, they were the first sneakers on the market that went for the big ol' price of 100 bucks.

But the 990s could get away with being $100! After all, they were the only sneaker at the time that had technological advances including a dual-density midsole, a reflective material on the outer N logo, and a motion-control device to keep your heel locked in.

Fast-forward to now, and New Balance is keeping that ethos in mind, constantly updating in both technology and design. The 996's, 998's, and five new versions of the 990's (we're now all the way up to the 990v6) have followed suit since '82, and throughout it all, Made has prioritized human skill in putting the shoes together. Trust me—they had me sewing up some 990's in the factory, and I know what it takes to produce a pair of sneakers now. Every associate who works at the Made factory has to go to weeks of training (dubbed "Shoe School") before they can begin production on the kicks that you end up putting on your feet.

Honestly, my gauge for sneakers used to be something like this: Are the cool, and are they comfortable? But after seeing the dedication to craftsmanship, quality, and community that Made centralizes, my standards are much higher. I want a shoe like the 990. I want a shoe that, on a scale of 1,000, comes as close as you can get.

Made in USA 993

Made in USA 990v6

Made in USA 990v4

Made in USA 998

Made in USA 996

Made in USA 998

Made in USA 990v4 Core

Made in USA 998 Core

MADE in USA 993 Core

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