Do we like them?

Do we like New Balance?

Sportswear and sneaker maker based in Boston, Massachusetts, with some US and UK factories and most production in Asia.

Our score: 6 out of 10. Decent, with a real US factory base and a published anti-forced-labor stance. Weak on supply-chain transparency and living wages, and it faced a 'Made in USA' suit. We'd cautiously back them.

New Balance is a Boston sneaker brand, and its CEO is Joe Preston. He took over from Rob DeMartini in 2018. It's privately held, so there are no shareholders to answer to, and we couldn't confirm the owner's name from solid sources.

Its big selling point is 'Made in USA'. In 2021, six plaintiffs sued, alleging up to 30% of each shoe could be imported parts or foreign labour. New Balance pointed to its disclaimer and its four New England factories. We found no ruling.

On workers abroad, it's patchy. Fashion Checker found no public evidence that suppliers pay a living wage. New Balance's own 2025 modern slavery statement says forced-labor risk is higher in the deeper tiers of its supply chain.

On climate it has science-based targets, but it's behind on the Scope 3 one, which is the biggest part of a footwear footprint. That's why we land at a middling-good 6.