New Balance, or New Balance Athletics Inc, is a significant footwear and sportswear company. The company was established in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company, based in Boston, Massachusetts. Irish immigrant William J. Riley founded the company. His initial product was a shoe with three support points and a flexible art.
The name “New Balance” came to Riley while observing chickens. He demonstrated the efficiency of his arch supports with a chicken foot kept in his office. He would say that the chicken’s three-pronged foot gave a perfect balance.
New Balance has unique products with technical features, including heel counters, gel inserts, and a large variety of sizes, including narrow and wide fits. New Balance has a manufacturing presence in the USA and in the UK for the European market, where they create some of their more popular products. The company totaled $4 billion in turnover in 2021.
Famous New Balance trademarks
New Balance is a popular billion-dollar sneaker brand with a unique history. You might not think of them immediately compared to competitors such as Nike or Adidas, but most competitors don’t have the same 100+ year history. With years in the industry, New Balance has amassed quite a lot of intellectual property. Let’s explore some of the trademarks registered under New Balance Athletics, Inc.
New Balance
The New Balance name is one of the first trademarks registered. It was first registered in 1975 and has been expanded several times; the trademark now covers:
- Arch supports
- Athletic shoes, heel pads, and insoles
- Tote bags
- Hats, sweatbands, visors, running shorts, suits, socks, dancing shoes, and other clothes and footwear
- Sunglasses, eyeglasses, and eyeglass cases
- Retail store, computerized online retailing, and mail order services related to exercise, sportswear, luggage, and more
- Sponsorship of football and athletic teams
- Exercise equipment, namely, treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary pedal-operated training equipment to aid health and fitness
- Downloadable virtual goods, including computer programs related to footwear, apparel, sports bags, sports equipment, sunglasses, water bottles, key chains, and magnets for use in online virtual worlds
- Retail store services featuring virtual merchandise, namely, footwear, apparel, sports bags, sporting equipment, sunglasses, water bottles, key chains, and magnets for use in online virtual worlds
- Online retail store services featuring virtual merchandise, including footwear, apparel, sports bags, sports equipment, sunglasses, water bottles, key chains, and magnets for use in online virtual worlds
- Virtual apparel, footwear, sports bags, sports equipment, sunglasses, key chains, magnets, and bags for use in virtual environments created for entertainment purposes
- Blood pressure monitors, heart monitors that are worn during exercise, sports monitors, and pulse rate monitors
- Watches and stopwatches
- Water repellent, fabric protectants, and stain repellants for clothing and footwear
- Cleaning preparations for use on clothing, laundry detergents, fabric softeners for domestic use, shoe whitener, saddle soap, spot remover, and shoe conditioner spray
- Clothing disinfectant
- Shoelaces
- Waterproofing chemical compounds
- Shoe polish, conditioner cream, and cleaner
- Deodorizers for shoes
- Information and educational services related to sports, fitness, athletics, etc.
NB logo
The NB logo consists of the letters “NB” in a stylized form. It was first registered for use in 1977. The trademark has been expanded several times and now applies to:
- Sunglasses, eyeglasses, and eyeglass cases
- Watches and stopwatches
- Sneakers, button up-shirts, waterproof jackets, Bermuda shorts, fleece shorts, yoga shirts, and more clothing for men and women
- Water repellent, fabric protectants, and stain repellants for clothing and footwear
- Cleaning preparations for use on clothing, laundry detergents, fabric softeners for domestic use, shoe whitener, saddle soap, spot remover, and shoe conditioner spray
- Clothing disinfectant
- Shoelaces
- Retail store, computerized online retailing, and mail order services related to exercise, sportswear, luggage, and more
- Virtual apparel, footwear, sports bags, sports equipment, sunglasses, key chains, magnets, and bags for use in virtual environments created for entertainment purposes
- Blood pressure monitors, heart monitors that are worn during exercise, sports monitors, and pulse rate monitors
- Waterproofing chemical compounds
- Shoe polish, conditioner cream, and cleaner
- Deodorizers for shoes
- Sponsorship of football and athletic teams
- Exercise equipment, namely, treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary pedal-operated training equipment to aid health and fitness
- Downloadable virtual goods, including computer programs related to footwear, apparel, sports bags, sports equipment, sunglasses, water bottles, key chains, and magnets for use in online virtual worlds
- Retail store services featuring virtual merchandise, namely, footwear, apparel, sports bags, sporting equipment, sunglasses, water bottles, key chains, and magnets for use in online virtual worlds
- Online retail store services featuring virtual merchandise, including footwear, apparel, sports bags, sports equipment, sunglasses, water bottles, key chains, and magnets for use in online virtual worlds
The Track at New Balance
The Track at New Balance is a new multi-purpose facility. The trademark application, which covers the name and a simple design mark (featuring the words in a stylized form), was submitted in 2022. If the application is approved, it’ll apply to:
- Entertainment services, namely, providing stadium facilities for sporting events, athletic competitions, concerts, broadcast productions, cultural events, and civic events; and arranging sporting and athletic competitions
- Leasing stadium facilities for sporting events, sports team practices, training, concerts, broadcast productions, cultural events, and civic events; leasing facilities for musical venues; providing training services in the fields of elite running and track and field to professional and amateur athletes
- Concession stands featuring food, arranging and conducting business exhibitions for business purposes, and retail store services featuring footwear, apparel, sports equipment, water bottles, keychains, stickers, and event merchandise
- Scientific research in biomechanics, kinesiology, and athletic shoe design
333 Triplecell logo
The unique Triplecell logo consists of three cropped “3s” designed in a triangle that can appear as a singular element or in a continuous field with one singular element seen in bold above the stylized wording “Triplecell.” The trademark registration was approved in 2020 and applies to:
- Footwear
Related: Trademarking your product logo
Abzorb
New Balance created “Abzorb”, a specific blend of cushioning and compression material. Following its first use in 1993, the trademark rights were registered in 2007 for use in:
- Cushioning midsoles sold as components of footwear
Stabilicore
Stabilicore is a footwear support technology that uses molded thermoplastic to offer precision and consistency. The trademark application was approved in 2009 for use in:
- Sneakers, athletic shoes, baseball shoes, track and training shoes
- Golf shoes
- Shoe soles
Sure-lace
New Balances’ “Sure-Lace” brand promises to stay tied “better than any other shoelace,” citing the advantages of the bubble-shaped design. The Sure-Lace trademark was registered in 2009 for use in:
- Shoelaces
Rock Stop
The “Rock Stop” technology is a flexible protective layer that disperses energy and shock and protects feet from rocks and debris. The Rock Stop trademark was first used in 2004 and registered in 2007 for use in:
- Footwear and shock distribution plates sold as part of the footwear
Wrapping up
New Balance has been at the heart of several trademark infringement disputes over the last ten years, including a recent trademark case against Steve Madden that kicked off last year. New Balance is a large sportswear brand with immense value.
The global running market is worth around 33 billion US dollars, and New Balance holds a market share of around 14 percent (in 2019). Part of New Balance’s immense value will be tied up in intellectual property, which is protected by a series of trademark filings. Including trademark applications, there are around 100 trademarks registered by New Balance Athletics, Inc.
