New Balance has no plans to stray from its decades-long commitment to American manufacturing.
The footwear firm has released its first Made in USA Economic and Social Footprint report focusing on 2023 and 2024 initiatives.
The company, who said it is the “only” major athletic footwear manufacturer to maintain U.S. production, disclosed that it invested $155 million in expanding its U.S. factory presence since 2021. Those investments has included the integration of advanced technologies while also preserving skilled craftsmanship that has defined its shoe-making heritage since 1938.
“Our commitment to American manufacturing, which we call Made, has always been an integral part of our company heritage and culture,” said New Balance president and CEO Joe Preston. “With this report, I’m proud to share that our ongoing Made investments are a key piece of our business success that has driven significant contributions to the U.S. economy and our New England communities.”
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The company operate four factories in New England. Two are located in Maine, one in Skowhegan and the other in Norway, as well as two in Massachusetts, one in Lawrence and the other in Methuen. A fifth factory in Londonderry, N.H., is slated to open in early 2026.
The report noted that the shoe firm in 2024 contributed $3.1 billion to the U.S. economy, representing a 23 percent increase from $2.5 billion in 2023. The company said that $479 million of that impact came from its U.S. Made operations, underscoring the “vital role domestic manufacturing plays in its U.S. economic footprint.” Its operations employed more than 5,000 across the U.S., including 1,200 Made employees. The company also said that last year, each Made employee supported 2.5x additional U.S. jobs.
Separate from its contributions to economic growth and job creation, New Balance detailed that it also invested in the well-being of the communities where its staff live and work, including product donations that totaled more than $1 million in wholesale value to the communities in Boston and Lawrence between 2023 and 2024.
Last year, the company and the New Balance Foundation donated more than $28 million in the U.S. to charitable causes, with a primary focus on empowering underserved populations and removing barriers to healthy lifestyles. The Foundation grants support youth development programs and expanded access to healthy food and recreation, as well as education and career readiness programs.
Other corporate initiatives included a $10 million commitment to establish the Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport at the University of Massachusetts Boston, a $7 million donation to the University of Maine for a new Track & Field and Soccer Complex, and a $250,000 gift supporting early childhood education and care in Skowhegan, Maine.
In September, Melissa Worth, the brand’s senior vice president, Americas, spoke at the WWD x FN x Beauty Inc Women in Power event on the company’s proven formula for reimagining sport for women, noting in particular that “authenticity” is the key to storytelling.
