How "Dad Shoes" Turned New Balance Into A $5 Billion Brand
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 16 май 2024
- What was once a favorite of dads across America is suddenly a fashion-forward brand in its own right. New Balance now has faster-growing sales than larger rivals Nike and Adidas, and fans range from Hailey Bieber to Kawhi Leonard. Here's how New Balance became a must-have for sneakerheads and dads alike.
Correction (May 25, 2023): At 1:22 we misspelled and the correct name is Richie Roxas.
Correction (May 26, 2023): At 2:47 we misspelled and the correct name is Tom Nikic.
Producer: Lauren Shamo
Senior Managing Producer: Eric M. Clark
Supervising Producer: Jessica Leibowitz
Editor: Marisa Forziati
Animator: Gene Kim
Reporter: Nicolas Vega
Narrator: Nicolas Vega
Additional Footage: Getty Images, Olivia Southwell, Alyson B, The McFarlands, NBCUniversal
Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: cnb.cx/2kxl2rf
About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money.
Connect with CNBC Make It. Online
Get the latest updates: www.cnbc.com/make-it
Find CNBC Make It. on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNBCMakeIt
Find CNBC Make It. on Twitter: cnb.cx/FollowCNBCMakeIt
Find CNBC Make It. on Instagram: bit.ly/InstagramCNBCMakeIt
#CNBC
#CNBCMakeIt
How "Dad Shoes" Turned New Balance Into A $5 Billion Brand
High fashion is temporary, dad's shoe is eternal
Eternally ugly
Form is temporary, Class is permanent 😂😂
3AM Eternal
Lies again? Vigrx Plus Medical Certificates
Everything that the dads own is actually comfortable
Except for the belt.
@@tf-ok ruclips.net/video/PbV2ZnbgUzY/видео.html
Nothing more comfortable than Nike air Jordans dude the number one for a reason. New balance are ugly and crap.
That's what it's all about. Nobody to impress, just ourselves
@@walterwhite1 you are incorrect, basing that on your own feet. Nikes are not comfortable to me, New Balances.
Nobody buys Jordans because they are comfortable, they buy them because they have the name Jordan on them and people are suckers for celebrities
I remember receiving a pair of NB for my birthday back in 1989. I was very upset cause at the time I rather have Nike air. No one in school was wearing NB, just when my mom lost her job a year a later, I started wearing that birthday present, we couldn't afford any shoes at all!!😅 Today I own 3 different pairs!!!❤
If someone told me a few years ago that New Balances would resell for hundreds over retail, I would have laughed at them. The hype has certainly died down a bit, but GR models at its peak were fetching upwards $700-900 on the resell market. The fact that a "dad shoe" that was belittled in 2016-2017 became glorified in 2019-2022 is so bizarre to me. As a reseller, I've seen trends come and go, but this was by far the biggest turnover. Maybe sketchers is next haha.
@@626resell New Balance was always dope and had their place in the culture, but its true they weren’t necessarily “hyped” until recently.
Also, does anyone remember heelies? It's a bit of a short lived trend but I thought those were fun.
Nobody in the 80s wore NB, unless you were actually running track.
@@626resell ruclips.net/video/PbV2ZnbgUzY/видео.html
Mom jeans and dad shoes are high fashion now. Unbelievable!!
crazy to see fashion styles really do repeat themselves with a slightly modern twist
I was looking at old photos of my parents when they were young and they looks SO stylish! When i was younger and looked at those photos i thought they dressed like old people and now that im older and that trend is back i find them to be so stylish lol
And it is all good 😉
Mom jeans are last decade bro get with the times
Fashion was invented before any actual living person..
It's always changing, but the good ideas always come back, some decades later..
Bell Pants for example.. I found 1 photo of my dad in the 70's, he was still very young,
20 years later Bell Pants came back for a while, and i used them also..
Now i'm seeing kids using them again, and i like that.. It's funny!
thanks for watching !
shoutout to all the NB heads in DC, Bmore, and Philly for putting NB on the map
BOSTON has always been NB heavy as well.
rep the DMV 🙏
Ummm. No. New Balance flexing in Brooklyn New York streets since the 80s.
DC started the trend!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
One thing NB has over brands is comfort. Not a single NB shoe of mine caused discomfort and I have wide feet. My favorite has been 9060s
❤
I have tried other brands and most of that is in the store. Recently it was a pair of, I believe Brooks, and the right sole felt lumpy or wavy. The left shoe was fine. There happened to be a second pair in my size. Again, the right sole was uneven. I was discombobulated and remain on the hunt for my next pair of New Balance.
@@BLUELEADER78 I found Hoka running shoes to feel the same way you described Brooks. I went to a locally owned running gear store and picked up New Balance 880s after walking around the store in pretty much all the wide running shoes they carried. I definitely recommend NB Fresh Foam, it's so comfy, and doesn't feel lumpy or unstable.
my dad was an avid runner and always had new balance, I didn't get my 1st pair until my early 30's and understood why he ran in those shoes as soon as I tried them on. Absolute comfort
Sneaker customers are so strongly brand oriented that even for a big company took literally decades to reach a slice of customers and profits . Cheers to NB !!
New Balance has always been "a thing" on the east coast. Philly,DC,VA have always worn New balance. 574,990,1500 are popular models.
Greetings from Greece! New Balance has really never lost its momentum in Europe - maybe just a few ups and downs - but nothing significant. New Balance continues to be an important choice in athletic shoes for many consumers in Europe 😊
I am from Austria and just 26 so maybe that's the reason but I have not even known NB until like 6 years ago and just recently they actually seem to be "desireable"
It was hard for me to find running shoes with a wider size when I did track and cross country in high school. New Balance was the only one available with my size even until today. Thank you New Balance!
My left toe was tightly squeezed by other shoes and got in 3 surgeries to repair my toe nail and I thought I was a weirdo due to my wide feet. (My parents tried their best to buy me large shoes since I was 10). Only until I was 18 and found out “wide” size from NB and realized I wasn’t the only one having issue. 😢
@@ACCA2016 Nike style shoes ruined my toes too and the air bubbles would leak eventually. I used to get Sauconies with Wide toe boxes but its easier to find NB stores.
Same! I have short feet but they are wide. So a 6XW worksite could go a bit wider. But certainly not longer. I don’t know any other brand that makes a size that works. I don’t own sandals or boots (other than ugg types) because I can’t find anything that fits. I tried a variety of running shoes and struggled through the nerve pain for years.
I am so happy New Balance exists. And I hope to see other brands with options for short wide feet.
@@ACCA2016 ruclips.net/video/PbV2ZnbgUzY/видео.html
@@jeretso ruclips.net/video/PbV2ZnbgUzY/видео.html
These shoes have always been super popular in Maryland and Washington DC. I remember when I was in middle school and they had a release sell out just before I got mine 😅
Was going to comment the same thing. They’ve been popular here for decades now.
NBs since 86 DMV representa as well
I don't need an influencer, celebrity, or athlete to tell me that a shoe actually fits me and is comfortable. And, oh, yeah, it also delivers performance while being used during an athletic/sports activity. That New Balance acknowledges that not all feet are the same and then applies that to their product(s) is what makes me (and apparently many others!) keep on coming back for more. The product simply works.
Plus the quality is better than most. I have been pretty much wearing New balance exclusively for the last 15 years. The quality isn't just in the Made in Us or UK, I wear the budget New Balances as well for work and they have outlasted all other brands and are more comfortable than most as well. They are highly reliable. Some other brands like Nike are absolutely awful when it comes to the budget stuff. I appreciate New Balance for putting in quality and comfort across the board.
Many adidas and Nike shoes are just not worth it if compared to NB@@12012channel
Original reason for old person status was NB was one of the first to provide different shoe widths on a mass scale which extended it to a good orthopedic ready shoe choice. Now kids are wearing them with mom jeans cause being different is cool, especially when everyone is doing it. 😂
Yea it’s bizarre how the new “in style” is mom jeans with “off brand” shoes 😂 the jeans are usually super hiked up like they had to walk through standing water.
@@LudiCrust.
Obviously you don't "get it"
You sound like an old person.
😉
I got 4E wide feet, they're the only decent quality brand I can actually consistently find my size in. Until other brands start taking wide sizes seriously, I basically have no comparable options but NB.
For me, Comfort >> Fashion
The quality is superb, can last for 10 years.
I'm from BMORE so I clicked on this QUICK!!
IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW!
I am also a Physical Therapist Assistant who has worked with 3 Pediatrists(Foot Doctors)
They ALL recommend New Balance as the best walking/running shoe for the average person! GIT U SOME!😂
As a Baltimorean, we've always worn NB. 990s and 993s are most popular. Definitely an east coast thing.
same in Boston. Love the suede 990 series, Made in the USA at the Lawrence,Massachusetts factory😁
boston was an adidas city for years…..
Got my Core 993s last month to honor my new home: Baltimore!
Wardrobe essential for a Suburban Dad or any DMV native!
They’ve always been comfortable and not ugly… way better than those ugly balenciagas that try to imitate them.
That is why I always like to call them BalenSHITagas. They are highly overrated and ridiculously overpriced while being stupidly ugly AF!
it's true, the thing that really sets New Balance apart is the quality and comfort.
It's the same with Onitsuka, the very uncool japanese flat sole sneakers worn by old people back then which suddenly turned around after cool kids got into them.
These will go into cycles as influencers go against the grain of the most sought after brands after a while
Agree with you. Influencers will ditch the brand once more and more people wear it. Onitsuka is very uncomfortable to wear as the sole is too thin and doesn't provide much support.
@@dt8101 ruclips.net/video/PbV2ZnbgUzY/видео.html
They should go full minimalist if they're going for a flat sole, honestly speaking.
@@dt8101uncomfortable if you have flat feet or fallen arches. For someone with strong feet they are fine.
Funny I'm selling a used pair. You're right. Ugly flat old person.
As a Gen X'er, I've never really understood the sneaker craze culture. Seeing kids wearing the stuff I wore as a kid and getting so hyped and paying thousands of dollars for them just makes me shake my head in wonderment.
I'm also a Gen X'er
@@newbalance365 want a cookie
Consumerism is a drug. Social media makes the demand that much higher. Millennials and Gen Z are victims of this culture, it’s all we know.
What's there to understand.
People collect and trade all sorts of things.
Sneakerheads are more urban and fun in my opinion.
It's called Hype Beast culture. There's nothing to understand. You're either are one, or you're not.
I’m 30 now and I bought my first pair of New Balance a couple years ago and was obsessed with it. It was so comfortable and stylish and I loved the colorway. It was the Numeric Tiago 1010 brown/black. 🔥. I’m not really a sneaker head like I once was in my teenage years. But it’s refreshing to see new balance doing so well now-a-days. They definitely came a long way to reach a broader consumer base.
Most of them are either boring or ugly
I jad no idea new balance became trendy. Ive been buying them for decades for my husband and then my son because they have big wide feet and new balance were comfortable
I remember getting my first pair of 574’s in my senior year of high school. They were so light and comfy. It felt cool standing out in the midst of other students wearing mostly Nikes and Jordans.
As someone living in Japan, New Balance has always been everywhere as far as I can remember and it is the main shoes option for day to day even during the craze of hypebeast and resellers sneakerhead culture in the late 2010s. The brand has always been loved for its simple color tone and minimalistic functional design which are highly valued in Japanese market. Children, teenagers, young adult, adult, even the freakin elder people are all wearing new balance in this part of the world. 😂
Same around a lot of places in Asia I think... not new
@@brianlam9429 yes indeed. That’s why this “dad shoes” kind of stereotype brand image of New Balance doesn’t really stick with me as someone living in this part of the world. It has always been a very good shoes option with a cool simplicity brand image that suits everyday occasions in every age brackets, never exclusive to the “dad’s shoes” image. 😂 that’s why the current craze in the west for New Balance is kind of odd to me, in a sense it’s always been trending over here. 😊
Japan is always living in the future, has good taste.
@@miyamotomasashi5838 lol, I mean this respectfully but you are literally describing American's idea of a dad shoe.
not a bad shoe, not an ugly shoe, but a dad shoe
@@ismailahmad9597 I don’t know how old are you but that’s definitely not what “dad shoes” mean at least currently. It has become “pejorative” term that is quite literal in definition a shoe that only people in middle aged man bracket (aka: dad’s) wear, which is in US equal to New Balance. It’s different case here in Japan, as I mentioned almost every ones wear New Balance. If you’re a student in high school for example, you wouldn’t get called out (in jokingly manner) for wearing New Balance, unlike in the US where majority of people wears nike.
The comfort New Balance pairs give is unmatched. Cheers to NB
When I lived in New York, New Balance was very popular I the late 90s. They came in every color. I felt like people were really late to realizing how stylish, fashionable, and comfortable they were. Same with Saucony. 🤷🏾♀️
These were a Baltimore and DC thing before NY fyi
I was thinking the same thing. Funny how things are only "popular" when certain people start wearing them but they've been popular in the DMV since the 80s.
@@joefuckingflacco11tds-0int4naaa Boston kiddo
I'm wearing a pair of Saucony Vintage Reissues, right now.
My grandma was a teacher and had foot problems from standing all day. Her doctor told her to switch to sneakers and she always bought new balance and swore by them for foot health and comfort
It's not about the shoe brand at all. There are plenty of brands offering comfortable shoes that might or might not work for you. First and foremost you need to figure out exact problems with your feet and choose the very specific shoe that fixes those particular problems. Just because I buy NB sneakers it's not guaranteed they will miraculously work for me. You have to pick exact model for your own unique set of circumstances like foot width, type of pronation, the height of your arch, etc... Stop being a brand fanatic. Brand means virtually nothing if they don't make shoes suited for your personal foot shortcomings. It's all about the specific shoe characteristics that will serve you individually. I have bought Asics sneakers for years thinking this is a reputable brand that makes good quality comfortable shoes, so it's automatically a slam dunk, but guess what? Those Asics were not comfortable for me at all. Does that mean Asics a bad brand? No. I just picked the wrong model that did not address my personal feet problems.
I love my New Balance shoes. They look really nice and are quite comfortable.
New balances are just plain comfortable to wear, a really good daily wear. Back in university I wore my new balance everyday! And it was reliable and made me move with lightness. Great brand.
New Balance is a tennis shoe that is built to take care of the feet, ankles, and knees. Any exercise physiologist and knee surgeon will tell you the support you get from tennis shoes, especially the lateral (side to side) support, is important to both on court performance and knee and ankle protection. Increased mobility combined with health safety support is what every shoe built for tennis should be based on. This is why shoes specifically for tennis are made.
True NB Cult OG, Stay Fresh 🔥💪🔥
Being born and raised in DC, that’s our signature shoe. When I went to college in NC people would say you must be from dc based on my new balance.
I'm from the DMV (Virginia) and we've been rocking the New Balance 990 for decades now
Got my first pair of New Balance 995’s in the 80’s.Baltimore City stand up!
Back in high school and college days Nike was an upstart that was moving in on Puma and Adidas running/track shoes. A few years later New Balance became popular due to the availability of different widths of all their shoe models along with Asics' predecessor the Onitsuka/Tiger brand (Nike shoes were always tight on my feet). For a while NB became the preferred shoe for road racing/marathons and Onitsuka was preferred track spikes if you had wide feet. I haven't worn a pair of Nikes since high school in the 1970s as they are still too narrow for my feet.
Nike are tight, but Puma are the worst. They either hurt the sides of my feet, or they're so far past my actual size that there's way too much room at the toe and/or heel. Getting my first pair of NB shoes was a revelation.
I’m from Baltimore we been wearing new balances since the 90. DC too
I like them because my initials are NB. 😌😂
Wow. "nb" in Chinese refers to "niú bī" 牛逼 (slang for "awesome" [literally: cow's νagina])
Ooh a shirtless daddy
new balance been popular in certain regions but with the help of brand collaborations and social media it gain national recognition
Been wearing NB since college. And that was in the late '90s/'00s.
Same for me 😂
Ditto
New Balance didn't just get hot. It has always been popular and had a huge fan based, especially in Japan.
Right.. Whoever made this just found out about NB and its pretty obvious. LOL
Nah, they’re way more popular now. They’re extremely trendy in a way they never used to be
@@atticustay1 You are both kind of right. Depends on your Geographic location. They have always been popular in places like Japan and even certain places in the U.S like D.C. However, in places like L.A., they were considered the same as Sketchers but more people are wearing them now.
I graduated highschool in 2000 and new balance was super trendy and cool.
New Balance is the official shoe of Baltimore city right now
Life long Nike/jordan fan but NB has been taking over my collection the last two years. The quality of materials and comfort is unmatched
I love the brand. I currently have a pair for running and one for hiking. It's a great 👟.
I’ve used NB when I was looking for sneakers for wide feet. Never looked back. I do use Hoka and Brooks (both produce for wide feet) but I also have a few pairs of 1080s.
A little surprised they didn't dedicate a minute on the quality and comfort of the NB's Made In USA and Made in UK lines as the best the company offers, though there are some great silhouettes that are made in more "traditional" factories like the 2002R.
The price difference between US/UK and Asian made shoes is shocking though.
Got my first pair this year. My daughter chose it for me. Love it even since. Wear it to work everyday.
My high top new balance cleats I got in like 2017 lasted me the next three years of lacrosse and I still have them and they are the best cleats I have ever had they were so comfortable. I never rolled my ankle on the field again.
I've been using NBs since the 90s, right now (Tuesday May 24th, 1:16 PM I'm standing in a pair of Blacks M520😅
I’m looking to purchase my first pair of NB. I have wide flat feet and I heard NB are super comfortable.
How can you do a story and omit the fact that NB has also produces exceptional models out their factory in Flimby England?
NB opened their first production factory in Workington, West Cumbria in 1982, from there to Flimby in 1991. The factory employs 273 people
and produces 580,00 pairs of kicks annually.
My personal favorites, 1500 and 991 are " Made in England " models. NB, in my opinion offers a superior quality product that is understated, yet stylish,
quite comfortable and very practical. Those that know just know. FACTS!!
I’m sorry I’m from Washington DC my hood been rocking these 1993 in high school got my first pair..def a culture and where u grew up at….
Nothing beats the classic NBs
I have had some good pairs of New Balances that were comfy and lasted a long time. I have noticed they are starting to look a little trendier recently. As long as they keep making them well. I think they are made in USA too, which is cool.
Only certain models are made in the U.S. or UK. That being said the quality is outstanding across the board.Ever since a doctor recommend because I had foot discomfort, I have been wearing them almost exclusively for the last 15 years. THe U.S. Stuff is super comfortable but even the low budget stuff is more comfortable and last longer than their counterparts from brands like Nike. I use the low budget stuff for work and they last longer and are more comfortable than other brands. I have tried other brands but always go back to New Balance. They don't seem marginally better but solidly better than other brands.
It's cute how fashion loops around, I got my dad a pair of NB and it's funny watching them become more in style over time.
I rocked lots of the classic 574’s in high school because you had so many color choices to coordinate and then in my 20’s I discovered their Minimus running shoes with the Vibram bottoms I put hundreds of miles on many pairs until they changed up the design and fit to where they just weren’t the same anymore.
Got my first pair of 574 NB last year and it's the best purchase ever.
I love my NB ❤
Comfort over fashion 😊
Surprised there was no mention on nb numeric. Them doing a good job entering the skate market gave them skate street cred. And skate fashion tends to bubble up to hype fashion which bubbles into 'higher' fashion. Same way nike sb dunks caused a huge nike hype revival outside of jordans.
I never got sneaker culture and I've always enjoyed my New Balances! I just got 210s to go with my orthotics and I love how they look like Vans but are even comfier!
Love that they make a shoe wide enough for me. Also love that I've never had to watch an advertisement for them. Win-Win!
Used to laugh when my dad would wear NB shoes when I was a kid. Fast forward many years later and love NB shoes more than anything 😂
so you were both unhip dudes. got it.
@@daharos wow dude
I just bought a new pair of NB's today. They're the only shoes that work for me, I work in a school setting.
Navy boot camp initial issue for sneakers was NB. Personally, it was very comfortable. Underrated brand.
Hope New Balance continue making confortable, durable and great quality sneakers. Would be awesome if they produce again 996 women's walking sneakers.
DMV setting trends yet again
🫡 we truly the flyest
I remember even in the 2000s and early 2010s, the only people wearing “dad sneakers” were generally not the most popular or well liked kids. First people who come to mind are classmates who were on the spectrum, or with some form of developmental disability/delay. You weren’t uncool for wearing the sneakers, it’s just that those shoes were associated with being uncool, if that makes sense.
I vividly remember always wearing skate shoes as a teen. Toms, vans and other similar popular shoe styles at the time didn’t have enough support for me😅
Got a pair of NB 2022R, one of the most comfortable sneakers I have ever owned.
Well done
2002R?
New Balance is way cooler than the overhyped Adidas & Nike!
Fatherless society craving a dad, that’s why
My dad has a pair of these shoes. I guess he made the right choice!
New balance actually have good arch support!
fashion is the culprit and it moves in cycles - trends and fads.
normcore started it. celebrities accelerated it.
it brought light into minimalist brands, casual brands including retro brands. moving into nerdcore.
NB found normcore on its lap and maximized its presence. revived its brand.
I had a pair of new balance running shoes in the 90's and today fuelcell rebels are my favourite 😊
Crazy how in 2016 everybody mocked Stephen Curry and Under Armour for the Curry 2 lows looking like dad shoes, now everybody wants dad shoes
I'm from the DMV and we been wearing balance since the early 90s hard we have always set the trends before the world know the trends . Air Force ones too the trend came from the DMV in the late 80s the world didn't pick it up to the early 2000s 😂
I wore New Balance from 2001-2005. The shock absorbency was terrible and I got shin splints. Switched to Asics in 2005 and never looked back. As a PT, I recommend Asics to A LOT of patients and they are always pleased.
I started wearing them cause of running shoes. Love em
NB has stepped up their style. They have some nice and comfy shoes
The NB 👟 is gangster !
Cheers from San Diego California
I got New Balance shoes because they were one of the few brands that offered a wide model of a shoe that was reasonable for the gym. I found all the other big brands mentioned in the video to be too narrow, so it was Altra, or New Balance. Their Fresh Foam line feels similar to Crocs, but more supportive, which is what I wanted. I like some of the more vintage styles, but for now, I like my 880s for being an good running/active shoe.
This vlog represents culture that's conforming based from what is hype and popular at the moment. NB is cool even the time when few is wearing it.
New Balance is the only sneaker they will fit the same model to model. Which make buying online easy.
Ever wore the 550’s? They’re bricks. Highly uncomfortable compared to the 580, 990, 2002r or 9060
Their basketball line has been struggling though. NB recently recalled NB Fresh Foam BB and the latest Kawhi line.
New Balance’s are the best!!One of my older brothers have been wearing New Balance since I was a little girl. However he made the sneakers look so cool.
It's not about the look, rather, it's all about comfort 👍🏽
I have purchased NB for more than 30 years, because it's a US-made running shoe. That said, I preferred wearing Brooks when I ran many years ago because it offered more support and comfort. But NB was (and still is) my go-to everyday show.
I always love New Balance sneakers. I’m not a dad.
“I wear new balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path”
Been wearing New Balance shoes for decades. Less sweatshop labor, very comfortable.
Y'all callin it "UGLY" but they've been on the feet of the wealthiest and smartest individuals in the past 30+ years.
They probably got sponsored and paid to wear them.
I was wearing new balances all through the 2000s 😂😂😂😂 and got made fun of in high school. I don’t wear them anymore though. Been there done that. But l think it’s funny how everyone wears them “ ironically”
Been a long fan of New Balance. Crazy that now I'm meeting people who says they like New Balance when back then I've never met anyone say that.
New balance 608, I have been wearing the same pair for 25 years and I still walk in to my local store and they. Say, we have your shoe.. keep life simple.. Love them. Frank Martinez Downey Ca ❤❤❤
I was wondering why I was suddenly obsessed with this brand when their shoes look very basic (ordered a shoe a couple days ago) and it's because of celebrities and influencers wearing them which is pushing their agenda. Their marketing is working!
Nike shoes are tighter in the toe area. Let your toes push your decision.
say baah without saying baaaaaah moment 🙄🙄
Actually New Balance have a policy that doesn’t pay these celebrities, athletes, and influencers to wear their products. It speaks for itself how comfort and timelessness help on promoting their product.
People in DC have been wearing NBs for 35+ years long before celebrities and entertainers were wearing them. Everyone is just late to the party!
They started out so clunky, but they are so comfortable.
I just purchased 2 running shoes from them this year and love them
I have worn these shoes religiously for over 20 years and I can say that since the pandemic, you're lucky to get a pair of NB to last 8 months.
I'm sure New Balance shoes are excellent in terms of function and comfort, but in terms of style they still keep me away. I'd buy them for work.