New Balance has announced the opening of its first ever Experience Store in Beijing’s Qianmen Avenue. Celebrating the brand’s past, present and future, New Balance proudly showcases its century-long heritage to bring a completely new brand retail experience to life.

Yes, you read right. Shoe and apparel company New Balance has opened the world’s first ever Experience store in Beijing, China, in the Qianmen Dajie district. The store is the first of an expected one thousand store line-up in China, which is set to be completed by 2012. Inside, NB’s history is showcased through its timeline, shoes, and clothing. The atmosphere is simply incredible, fresh, and historic. If you’re ever in the Qianmen neighborhood, be sure to check out this timeless classic.

A Brand New Retail Experience
The two-floor 2000+ square foot New Balance Experience Store is located in Beijing’s famous Qianmen Avenue. Qianmen Avenue is one of the most historical commercial streets in Beijing, with more than 500 years of history. That New Balance has chosen Qianmen Avenue as the location for its first ever Experience Store is no coincidence. In this new endeavor, New Balance continues to lead in innovation while remaining firmly rooted in the heritage of its past.

The first floor’s décor is inspired by New Balance’s heritage with a nostalgic feel harkening back to the 1950s and 60s. Using materials that are worn and textured, the store’s first level is dedicated to the brand’s rich history, complete with framed archival logos, vintage New Balance ads and various brand paraphernalia dating as far back as 1910.

A DNA ribbon which extends from the first floor entrance all the way to the second floor takes the consumer through a chronological journey documenting the brand’s rich past, present and future. The detail in the overall store design is further complimented by audio, visual and olfactory experiences throughout the store including the unique smell of oak reminiscent of a shoe store’s scent from the mid-20th century.

The environmental ambiance of the second floor is consistent with the first floor, paying homage to the brand’s signature grey while introducing the brand’s modern day technology-based offerings amidst an evolved red and grey color scheme.

Rob DeMartini, chief executive officer and president of New Balance states, “We are excited about this new store model that pays tribute to our heritage, celebrates our innovation and sets a new standard of retail excellence within the global marketplace. The New Balance Experience Store in Beijing allows consumers to engage with our rich brand story that is 103 years in the making.”

The New Balance Carnival
The grand opening of the world’s first ever New Balance experience store in Beijing is a landmark event in the company’s history.

On August 15th, its opening day, New Balance will be host to a 1960s-style American carnival along Beijing’s Qianmen Avenue. With the trappings of a real carnival, it will take up Qianmen Avenue with its games, gifts, balloons and carnival-style décor. Fun for the entire family, it will also have games related to New Balance’s running DNA, and include foot width measuring activities and treadmill challenges all communicating the idea of health and sport. In addition to different prizes, New Balance has also prepared 123 limited-edition T-shirts for guests. Also on display during the carnival will be classic New Balance shoes, each providing a window into the unique product created throughout the company’s history.

The grand opening of New Balance’s first Experience Store will be attended by the senior executives of the company, including Global CEO Rob T. DeMartini, Global Executive Vice President of International Alan Hed, Regional General Manager of Asia Pacific Darren Tucker, and China General Manager Michael Wellman. The New Balance Experience Store’s display of the brand’s past, present and future not only showcases the company’s authentic heritage and spirit but also demonstrates its determination towards reaching its goal of turning China into the brand’s second largest market, following the United States. New Balance has plans to open as many as 1,000 stores in China before 2012.

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2009,08,19 Singapore - New Balance is proudly continuing its tradition of sneaker craftsmanship with a celebration of the 99X Series in 2009. Since its inception in 1982, with the launch of the first silhouette in the 99X Series, the M990, the 99X Series has set the global standard for sneaker design and technology.

Indeed, as New Balance’s premium running shoe, the prestigious 99X Series has successfully established itself as iconic footwear for sports enthusiasts, from the 1980s to today’s contemporary style-conscious runners alike. Blending an ideal running posture with superb comfort, the early 99X models proudly bore the label “Made in USA”. On a scale of 1-1000, shoes in this renowned series are 99X, or almost perfect!

To date, the 99X Series has blazed a trail for athletes and sneaker lovers worldwide, combining imaginative and innovative design with cutting-edge shoe technology with craftsmanship and heritage history backing it up.

In 2009, the 99X Series continues to be assembled using the company’s 103 years of shoe-making experience, further enriched with a series of 99X celebrations throughout the year.

1982: CM 990

New Balance introduces the world’s most sophisticated, hand-crafted footwear for optimum running posture featuring the perfect balance between stability and cushioning. The back ankle incorporated MCD (Motion Control Device) technology. For both its price and quality, the M990 became the best-selling shoe of its time.

1986: M 995

Featured two layers of shock absorbing insole. PU and EVA were also added to improve stability and cushioning. Its similar appearance to the Smart 576 model made this a favorite model for retro fans.

1989: M 996

Combined an ENCAP® wedge and dual density C-CAP® to provide quality cushioning, with slight changes in the design and shape to make it more fashionable and comfortable.

1991: M 997

Merged the new technology of shock absorbing ENCAP and C-CAP to provide mid-foot support, with two different materials combined into one comfortable insole.

1993: M 998

Debuted the world’s preeminent shock-absorbing technology, ABZORB®

1996: M 999

Continued to build on the technological sophistication of earlier models by adding a 3D mid-foot design with accelerated PU and ABZORB. The M999 quickly became known as the ultimate shock absorption and established itself as the most technologically advanced shoe prior to 1000 model.

1998: M 990

Set a new standard for foot protection by utilizing ABZORB to improve the shock absorbing function. The shape of the classic M990 featured a similar design to the 993 model.

2001: M 991

Blended high-technology with fashionable new designs, including an eye-catching crocodile effect. An ABZORB window was also added to the front and back support. The design became the blueprint for both the 992 and 993 models.

2006: M 992

The supportive shoe shape provided superior comfort, while the sole featured ABZORB-SBS ® for additional shock absorbing. The custom made insole with width sizing was a big hit. This model was the 100^th Anniversary edition and was discontinued in 2008.

2008: M 993

Enhanced with the best NB cushioning system, ABZORB-DTS®

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After the first “Pigeon” was created by Jeff Staple, he has now designed his second “Pigeon” for New Balance. The “White Pigeon” is a >Global SMU< and is going to be released at the 18.08.09. This shoe will be available at selected sneaker stores worldwide.In Germany you can get the “White Pigeon” at >Solebox< in Berlin or at >Thomas i punkt< in Hamburg. As you know that the sneakers of the SMU project are always strictly limited, you better be there at the release to be sure to get a pair.

Jeff Staple’s statement about the pigeons:

“I am very very excited and happy to be releasing another NB575 with the New Balance Team. Most of our fans and fans of the global sneaker culture are familiar with our Pigeon motif. I am proud to launch a new evolution of the Pigeon with New Balance on Aug 18th. As many people who live in cities know, the pigeon does not only have look and color. While most of them are grey, we decided to use this motif as our main color inspiration for everything from caps, to hats, to cameras, to socks. But have you seen an albino pigeon? It is a pigeon where the feathers are almost all white and only some hints of black or light grey. The feet and eyes are still the same pigeon pink color though. This even rarer pigeon is the inspiration for our new NB575 Shiro Pigeon. The “White Pigeon”. I love the final execution of it and I think it’s the perfect shoe for the summer time. The overall design is similar to the original 575 Pigeon but with new colors, some added reflective elements, and a new tongue label that hints at the inspiration. I am also happy to say we have increased production of the “White Pigeon” to approximately 1000 pairs for the entire planet. (About double what we did compared to the original NB Pigeon.) I look forward to thus launch with New Balance and more special projects in the future.” —jeffstaple

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