Boston Globe
New England, once the shoe capital of the world, could lose another sneaker company with the proposed acquisition of Reebok International Ltd., but New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. has managed to stay independent by going its own way.
Instead of hiring sports stars to pitch shoes, Boston's New Balance has a philosophy of "Endorsed by no one." Instead of focusing on fashion and teenagers, as many rivals do, New Balance Chairman and Chief Executive Jim Davis emphasizes function, something his baby-boomer customers appreciate. Instead of making all its shoes abroad, 25 percent of New Balance shoes are made or assembled domestically. And instead of becoming a public company that sells stock shares on Wall Street, New Balance has remained private.
"For us, it will be business as usual," said Davis, who bought New Balance on the day of the Boston Marathon in 1972.
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