Apparel
New Balance: pioneering the next generation of footwear design
Shifting to a 3D workflow is changing the game for New Balance.
With a history spanning 110 years, New Balance has evolved into one of the most inventive footwear businesses around today. In fact, you might say it has innovation in its DNA.
Back in 1906, its revolutionary flexible shoe arch supports were a huge leap forward in terms of balance and comfort. Later, the company went on to develop the world's first ripple-soled running shoe.
So it’s no surprise that New Balance is now one of the companies pioneering the way footwear will be made in the future.
Find out how they’re doing it in this video:
Dan Webb, Sr. Designer, New Balance
The pace of design really increases using Modo. Something you normally wouldn't see until first proto, you can conceptualize in a sketch much earlier in the design process.
Innovation is key to everything New Balance do. It’s this desire to find better ways of designing and creating that drove the company to explore 3D workflows.
As Jared Goldman, Senior Director of Design at New Balance, explains: “We work off a traditional 18 month product creation calendar. The product sampling process is what pushes us out that far.”
“To make a sample, we're looking at 6-8 weeks to get something back. If we can sample something virtually, we can do it in 2-3 days. We knew that we needed to make that jump into 3D.”
Want to find out how another forward-thinking footwear design company is harnessing the power of 3D? Watch our video on Keen Shoes here.
