Sneaker blog x New Balance Interview
Auch im Spätsommer wollen wir euch wieder mit ein paar Insider-Infos einer schon langen bekannten Marke versorgen. Dieses mal im Interview: Der Lifestyle Ableger von New Balance. Nicht zuletzt die hoch gelobte Qualität, sondern auch das X-klusiv-Gefühl-beim-Tragen zeichnet diese Marke aus. Unsere Fragen beantwortet Robert Ward (1.v.l), Lifestyle Category Manager EMEA:
sneaker blog: Hi Robert. First of all: What sneaker you currently wearing?
Robert Ward: Today I decided to dig out some old retro NB hi-top basketball shoes from our ‘James Worthy Pride’ collection, the model is the BB800 and they’re in a Chicago Bulls Red/Black colourway. I haven’t worn them from a long time but I moved house this week and found them this morning and thought they looked fresh.
sneaker blog: When did New Balance decide to create the Lifestyle New Balance Series?
Robert Ward: We’ve been putting out lifestyle product for quite a few years now, since the early 90’s when we had our first renaissance with our classics collection, although it’s only really been over the last four years that we’ve really taken it seriously and put a full team in place with 100% dedication to the category - covering design, product management, marketing and sales. We initially approached it very cautiously, concentrating on just the very top retailers and most opinion leading consumers with our Made in UK product, and now after a couple of good solid years are starting to expand and grow to a younger, wider consumer base, but still staying relevant to the loyal NB fans who have always loved the brand for it’s heritage and quality.
sneaker blog: Is there any difference between the running and lifestyle from technical view?
Robert Ward: New Balance has always been primarily a performance running brand, and over the years has been at the forefront of technical innovation. Most of our current lifestyle products are reissues from our back catalogue, therefore whilst they contain technologies that would have been industry leading back in their day, the technologies now seem quite basic compared to what our advanced product teams and Research & Development laboratories are working on for the running and outdoor category. One thing we’re looking to do in the future is work more closely with our R&D teams and bring out more techy products within the lifestyle collection, as not everyone wants to wear retro styles all the time, and if you don’t invest in the future then eventually the archives will run dry!
sneaker blog: How do you pursue the european and german market. Where’s your pours of inspiration?
Robert Ward: The New Balance region we represent is called EMEA, ie Europe, Middle East & Africa. A large and culturally diverse region with over 30 different New Balance markets, all with their own unique trends, consumer types, materials, colours etc. What works in the high-end fashion boutiques of Milan, Madrid, Paris and Athens is very different from the cool sophistication of say the Scandinavian northern European market, or indeed the edgy stretwear scenes of London and Berlin. It’s not easy therefore to produce the perfect range for every country, but if you constantly keep your eyes open, treat everyone with equal respect, travel well, do your research, and have good people on the ground in all these markets feeding in information, then there’s no reason why you can’t succeed and be more than just a one market brand.
sneaker blog: Please explain to our readers where’s exactly the difference between a NEW BALANCE and a Nike, Puma, Adidas, etc. sneaker?
Robert Ward: One thing that our long-term owner Jim Davis has always said is not to worry too much about comparing ourselves with the competition. If you do your best, stay true to your heritage and roots, and are not afraid to follow an alternative path and learn from your mistakes then you’ll set yourself up to succeed. In that sense we don’t spend too much time chasing the competition and instead concentrate on doing what we do best, whilst also exploring the boundaries of how far we can push the brand into new product categories and markets. New Balance has always been very strong with running silhouettes, shoes like the 576, 574, 1300, 990 series etc, and therefore most consumers would probably think of NB in that light rather than say Basketball, Tennis or vulcanised shoes which some of our competitors are very strong in.
sneaker blog: Is it still true, that all New Balance sneakers are hand crafted in the UK?
Robert Ward: Not all of them, but many are. Out top tier premium collection is hand-made in the UK, in our factory in the North West of England by the coast on the edge of the picturesque Lake District. This product commands a high price but is made with 100% quality and craftsmanship in mind, and is only available in limited quantities to the very best retailers worldwide. Made in the UK and Made in the USA has always been one of our primary points of difference or unique selling points versus our competitors, not many brands do it anymore, but supporting out domestic workforce and using years and years of shoe making expertise is something we don’t ever want to give up, especially in the global world that we all now live in where working conditions and local produce is becoming more important.
sneaker blog: From your point of view: What is the differnce between the german and the other european customers? Are there any special needs?
Robert Ward: Every market is different, and within each market, every consumer is different. Within a country like Germany, what works in Munich and the south can be very different than what works in the likes of Berlin or Hamburg futher north. We don’t like to stereotype people, instead concetrating on producing quality, premium product and if people like it in certain towns and cities then they’ll buy it. Germany however does seem to have certain parallels with the East coast of the USA, especially in music and hip hop, and also with a very strong streetwear scene. But at the same time there’s plenty of great fashion boutiques all over Germany that wouldn’t look out of place in the Mediterranean fashion capitals like Milan. The bottom line is that not everyone is the same and thankfully we have great people on the ground in Germany who always make sure their market needs and feedback is represented when we create our seasonal collections.
sneaker blog: For the future: Will there be any special editions only for the german market?
Robert Ward: Sure, we’ve been working with the likes of Hikmet of Sole Box in Berlin, and other partners such as Thomas i Punkt in Hamburg for some time now, giving them the opportunity to create exclusive product for their market that reflects the unique diversity and culture of the German people. More of this will continue as we move forward as a brand, the key to this is to keep pushing the boundaries and making sure anything we do in the future is new, fresh, and moves things forward instead of just being happy with what has gone before. As far as the exact details of what’s coming in the pipeline, you’l have to wait and see!
sneaker blog: Finally a small preview: What can we excpect from New Balance within the next 2-3 years?
Robert Ward: In terms of reissues, within our Legacy collection you’ll see us continue to unearth more hidden gems from our extensive product archives, mixing it up with more silhouettes from our 90’s running back catalogue as well as the traditional big N 80’s classics, plus also throwing in a nice balance of tennis, basketball and fitness gems from back in the day. Plus as mentioned earlier we’ll be working more closely with our R&D team in Boston to make sure the performance running team don’t have exclusive rights to all the best of our new technology and innovation going forward!
sneaker blog: Thank you very much for the interview Robert.
Robert Ward: Always a pleasure. Thanks for the chance to share the latest NB news with your blog readers.
