New Balance began as a Boston-based arch support company in the early 1900s, developed into a specialized manufacturer of shoes in the 1970s, and has grown to become a leading global athletic products company. Today New Balance is a family of brands including New Balance, Dunham, PF Flyers, Aravon, Warrior and Brine.

Since the days of selling arch supports to police officers and waiters, New Balance has been a brand concerned with meeting the needs of the everyday athlete. In pursuing this goal, they developed an "Endorsed By No One" philosophy, which holds that a superior product will sell itself better than any superstar athlete ever could. Part of producing New Balance shoes and athletic clothing is manufacturing it to fit all widths and sizes, because a better fit produces better performance.

To ensure the best fitting, best performing shoes and clothes, New Balance focuses on improving their technology and production methods. A big part of that is maintaining five manufacturing facilities here in the United States where they continue to produce New Balance shoes and apparel that meet the standards they've employed for 100 years. They have also remained committed to a core set of values that include integrity, teamwork and total customer satisfaction.

New Balance is notable in that it has continued to maintain a manufacturing presence in the United States as well as in the United Kingdom for the European market in contrast to its competitors in the same market space, such as Nike and Adidas, who purchase designs from manufacturers in China, Vietnam, and other developing nations. The result of this corporate decision is that the shoes tend to be more expensive than New Balance's competitors. To offset this pricing discrepancy, New Balance offers technical innovations that the other brands do not, such as a blend of gel inserts, heel counters, and greater selection of sizes, particularly for very narrow and/or very wide widths. One type of New Balance's shoes are worn by Steve Jobs at Apple keynotes.