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Technical shoes made for modern sports don’t often appeal to sneaker collectors. The New Balance Made In USA line addresses this with limited, high quality sneakers.
I was drawn to the brand based off of the the quality I was hearing about from other sneaker collectors. What I’ve found is that quality can vary wildly, until you get into the Made In USA or Made in England lines from NB. Basically, these two lines are practically built off of increasing quality. All fans of high quality leather and suede retro runners should look here first to fully get that New Balance experience!
According to their website, New Balance is the only major company to make/assemble 4 million plus pairs of sneakers per year in the United States.
They have 5 facilities located in Maine and Massachusetts. The company also strives to source materials from domestic suppliers for these sneakers.
Made In USA New Balance Difference
New Balance produces the Made In USA line in the United States of America. The sneakers in this line consist of mostly retro models and utilize higher quality materials than counterparts made elsewhere.
Another major difference between Made line New Balance and those produced elsewhere is the price. Made In USA NB tend to run on the expensive side, often around the $200 mark at retail. By contrast, many other pairs not in the Made lines are usually around half that price.
There is a stereotype that New Balances not made in the USA or England are poor quality. These non-Made pairs generally use less quality materials than their USA-built counterparts. However, the quality of the sneakers still often surpass other brands made in the same locations. Most collectors will want a Made In USA New Balance. Those that want a quality pair at a lower price should still consider New Balance’s non-Made lines with confidence.
Are New Balance Made In USA Better?
New Balance Made In USA sneakers have the materials that connoisseurs desire and the retro looks and limited production that sneaker collectors look for. They are overall better and epitomize the saying “you get what you pay for”.
This is all from a casual perspective of course. “Better” is a relative term. High-priced sneakers made of luxurious suedes and leathers in mostly retro designs are not always the most practical for sports. As a collector, my preference is always the high quality New Balance Made-line sneakers.
New Balance also utilizes the Made-line sneakers a lot for collaborations. Many of the sought after limited New Balances that release are collabs. New Balance often releases these collabs on Made In USA silhouettes. This isn’t always the case, as NB often has other new models they are trying to promote. These include the 327, 237, 550 and 2002r. NB will often use collabs to push those models out there. Generally speaking though, the Made In USA collabs are worth the price of admission at retail.
Which New Balance Shoes Are Made In The US?
The list fluctuates, but commonly the 990 line (V1-V5 and soon V6), 992, 993, 995, 997, 998, 1300, 1400 and 1600 are USA-Made.
Others such as the 574, 996 and 999 sometimes release as Made in USA versions. The box typically indicates if the sneaker is part of the line.
The 997 has a few derivative models such as the 997H and 997S. New Balance generally produces these overseas. MiUSA 997s are often clearly labeled. When in doubt, the retail price is very illuminating as to where the sneaker was produced.
Best Made In USA New Balance
This is largely subjective, but the best Made In USA New Balance from a materials standpoint is the 998. Aesthetically, the 990v3, 992 or 997 currently reign supreme, depending on what type of silhouette you are looking for.
The 992 was one of the “it” sneakers of 2020. Currently, the 990v3 is the latest hot retro model from the brand. The 990v5 is technically not a retro, but will be once the V6 releases. All the rest of the models make for great, high quality retros with high retail prices and stupendous levels of suede and leather.
Some of my favorites include the 990v1, 990v2, 992, 997 and 998. As far as quality goes, the 998 in my experience has the best suede of any Made In USA NB I’ve owned. While I’m sure this is merely my perception, I do find it interesting that among all the New Balances I’ve bought, the 998s stand out. The sneaker usually has lush textures covering the bulk of pairs. When someone references high quality New Balance suede, I immediately picture the 998.
As far as shape, I lean towards the 997 for its sloped toebox and overall “pointy” aesthetic. Very 90s! It basically looks like a right angle triangle in profile view. This matches up with other popular silhouettes that released around the same time such as the Air Max 3.
The 990v3-v5, 992 and 993 all share very similar silhouettes, particularly in the toebox area. These models have a less pointy aesthetic. When it comes to non-pointy retro runners, my preference is the 992 for its comfortable, wide fit. Another reason the 992 tops the list for me is that its paneling lends itself well to some eye-catching colorways. Both monotone and bright colorways look great on this model!
Performance MiUSA New Balance Shoes?
The overwhelming focus of the Made lines are retros and the latest 990 version. However New Balance does occasionally produce technical runners such as the 1540v3 in the United States.
Or at least they did. As of April 2021, NB claims the sneakers are no longer produced in the US. When searching the Made In USA sneakers on their website, the 1540v3 still comes up though!
So, while NB may focus on retro silhouettes for the majority of MiUSA releases, they do sometimes produce modern running shoes under the umbrella. Still, I personally think of the Made-line New Balances as casual sneakers more than performance sneakers overall.
Where To Buy Made In USA NB?
New Balance often has Made In USA sneakers on their site, however things tend to sell out quickly there. The sneakers are also available on sneaker boutique websites.
Keep in mind that USA-located sites generally have lower prices than sites based overseas for the USA-produced kicks.
Finally, there’s always aftermarket sites.
Shop eBay for those colorways you missed out on at retail now!