| New Balance has made a name for itself with quality and comfortable shoes. The brand excelled in the running world, but that isn’t the only market that New Balance has gotten its feet wet. In the mid 80’s, New Balance, as well as many other brands, looked for new ways to market their basketball products. New Balance went after James Worthy of the Los Angeles Lakers at a time when his other starting mates were signed to a number of different brands including Converse, Adidas, Reebok, and of course Nike.
A series of James Worthy New Balance shoes were released for a few years, but this model, the New Balance 590, was one of the last to precede New Balance’s signing of a megastar. The shoe had everything to offer that any shoe did at its time. A performance designed insole, pivot point on the herringbone outsole, and a high of enough cut to protect the ankles of an athlete earning six figures…believe it or not, NBA players weren’t all millionaires back in time.
New Balance hasn’t attempted the retro basketball kick for a while, but with so much attention towards the uber high tops and mid 80’s lines, one would hope they will enter the market again. |
