What’s that you say? Another social media furore surrounding the election? Well, of course. This time, it’s New Balance trainer fans unhappy that comments from the company seemed to show support for president-elect Donald Trump.
New Balance’s head of public affairs, Matthew LeBretton, told the Wall Street Journal a day after the election: “The Obama administration turned a deaf ear to us, and, frankly, with president-elect Trump, we feel things are going to move in the right direction.” Dude, read the room. Or at least, read the room of the millennial, ethnically diverse, liberal-leaning sneaker fans who have seen the company’s circa-2010 revival from running purists’ choice to Hackney stomping-ground staple.
The masses have been taking to Twitter to swear off the brand for life, torching their trainers, as if in a PE version of The Wicker Man. But will this upset throw New Balance off balance?
I ask the company to clarify its statement. LeBretton’s comments, a spokesman tells the Guardian, were “correct only in the context of the topic of trade, and nothing else”. That is to say: no, New Balance does not support Trump. In fact, the company reassures me that it “does not tolerate bigotry or hate in any form” and is “a values-driven organisation and culture that believes in humanity, integrity, community and mutual respect for people around the world”. Which doesn’t sound very Trumpian.
@MMArtinitus @tabgirl @SoleCollector @newbalance pic.twitter.com/RqATjNBalu
— kiemzi (@kiemzi) November 10, 2016
The topic of trade under discussion is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a potential free-trade deal that would lower tariffs on imports to the US from certain countries, and which New Balance has long opposed. This is because New Balance produces many of its shoes in the US. Competitors, such as Nike, are largely import companies. Accordingly, Nike is a vigorous supporter of TPP.
New Balance does make things in other countries, too (including Asian countries, which would fall under TPP), but is proud of its five factories based in New England, where it has been making shoes since 1906. (The company also has a presence in a tiny Cumbrian town where 20% of output is sold to the UK and Ireland.)
“It was blown entirely out of proportion,” John Kim, editorial director of the industry website Sneaker News, tells me in an email. “The timing and wording of that quote definitely sucked, but to call New Balance a Trump supporter was a reach. “New Balance’s stance on TPP has been clear from the get-go. They were not shy about their stance when President Obama visited the Nike headquarters last May.”
Indeed, apart from a brief episode in which it seemed New Balance would stem its opposition to TPP in return for a lucrative contract supplying the military, the company has long been in consumers’ good books. It’s a family-friendly brand, and it has been nice to watch its rising success. Take-up by celebrity fans, such as Rihanna, and an increased focus on lifestyle shoes has boosted New Balance’s reputation. Trumpgate is unlikely to damage that, Kim says.
“Miscommunication like this can definitely affect sales because a good portion of NB’s annual revenue comes from the average consumer. Those types are not unconditional supporters and therefore can easily switch to another one. But [New Balance was] quick with the damage control.”
Liberal die-hard sneakerheads, too, are unlikely to be put off long-term because, as Kim says, “New Balance’s rep is generally positive because of their manufacturing practices. It’s hard to see that the quote would have any negative effect on the buying habits of this specific demographic.”
New Balance isn’t the first brush a label has had with politics, not even this election cycle. Supreme, among others, came out for Hillary Clinton. And who can forget David Cameron forever banging on about his love of Converse?
Now, it looks as though things might have come good for New Balance, which, again, does not support Trump, as it becomes unlikely TPP will pass Congress before the end of Obama’s term. All the company has to worry about now? The rise of Vans.
