New Balance review
Updated September 30, 2026 · ThriveCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
New Balance suits readers who want a single brand covering activewear, golf, hiking, racket sports and team sports instead of a shop that splits the wardrobe. Entry prices start at $109.99, which sits mid-field, and the catalogue has run since 1906.
Key facts
- Best for
- Readers who want golf, hiking, racket and training kit from a single brand.
- Price from
- $109.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Brand or store
- Brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 1906 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Activewear, Golf, Hiking, Outdoor clothing, Racket sports, Team sports
- Official website
- newbalance.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- The range is broad for a single brand: activewear, golf and hiking spans activewear, golf, hiking, outdoor clothing, racket sports and team sports, so most of a kit list comes from a single label.
- Entry is open at $109.99, so the lowest ticket does not require a sale, a bundle or a membership.
- Support runs on chat and help centre, covering chat and a help centre, so order and sizing questions can be raised without a branch visit.
- Golf is the line that separates it here: camping, hiking and outdoor clothing does not name golf, while New Balance stocks it alongside its training and outdoor ranges.
Cons
- Phone and email are not among its support channels (chat and help centre), so a question needing a voice call or a written thread goes through chat or the help centre instead.
- Camping and cycling are not among its product types (activewear, golf and hiking), so a full outdoor kit is better assembled at Decathlon with camping, hiking and outdoor clothing.
- Water sports are not among its product types (activewear, golf and hiking), which leaves anglers and paddlers to a specialist such as KastKing with water sports and outdoor clothing.
- On price from, an entry of $109.99 ranks 43 of 67 brands tracked here, so the floor is mid-field rather than cheap.
Ready to try New Balance?
Scored 8.8 / 10 by ThriveCue.
Who it suits
- Golfers who want a golf line and their walking and training kit from the same label, since activewear, golf and hiking covers golf and activewear.
- Racket players who would rather not juggle labels, because activewear, golf and hiking includes racket sports alongside team sports.
- Hikers building outdoor clothing around their training wear, as activewear, golf and hiking pairs hiking with outdoor clothing.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anglers and paddlers, who get a tighter shelf from KastKing, whose water sports and outdoor clothing range is built around water sports.
- Campers and cyclists, since camping and cycling are not among activewear, golf and hiking while Decathlon lists camping, hiking and outdoor clothing.
- Shoppers who want to phone or email, because support is a help centre and chat only (chat and help centre).
Who runs it
New Balance is a brand rather than a marketplace, and it has been making its own gear since 1906. That is the first thing to weigh, because length of trading history matters more in gear than in a service. Shoes and outerwear wear out, and whoever handles a warranty claim or a replacement pair has to still be there long after the sale, which is the practical value of an old founding date for anything you wear on your feet. Support runs on chat and help centre, which is chat and a help centre. Both are on-demand and written: a question can be raised late, read in full, and reopened against an order reference without waiting for opening hours. Neither route is a phone line, and neither puts someone on a call, so a reader who settles problems by talking is served less well than one who is happy searching and typing. Put the two together and the picture is a long established company with a modest, digital-first support setup. For most readers that pairing works, because the questions that follow an order, sizing, delivery, a worn sole, are all answerable in writing. For anyone who needs a voice conversation, the support setup is the piece to weigh before ordering rather than after a parcel lands.
How New Balance compares
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.5
8.8 vs 8.8
8.8 vs 8.9
8.8 vs 8.9
8.8 vs 8.7- 8.8 vs 8.9
8.8 vs 9.2
8.8 vs 9.2
8.8 vs 9.3
8.8 vs 8.9
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.6- 8.8 vs 9.3
8.8 vs 9.2
8.8 vs 9.2- 8.8 vs 9.2
8.8 vs 9.1- 8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.1- 8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.0- 8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 8.8
Frequently asked questions
What does New Balance sell?+
The range is activewear, golf and hiking: activewear, golf, hiking, outdoor clothing, racket sports and team sports. That spread is wider than a pure footwear label and wider than a single sport shop, so a reader covering training, golf and weekends outdoors can build a list under a single name.
What does it cost to get started?+
Entry prices start at $109.99, which is the floor for the cheapest item rather than a bundle or a membership. That entry point ranks 43 of 67 brands tracked on price from, so expect to sit above the cheapest names in the field and below the top.
Can I get golf and racket sport kit from the same brand?+
Yes. activewear, golf and hiking lists golf and racket sports alongside activewear, hiking, outdoor clothing and team sports. Compare that with camping, hiking and outdoor clothing, which does not name golf, and the case for a reader who plays golf and trains on the same days is straightforward.
How do I get help if an order goes wrong?+
Support runs on chat and help centre, meaning chat and a help centre. Both suit questions that can be typed and read back, and a help centre article can be reopened with an order reference. Neither route is a phone call, so anyone who needs to talk a problem through should settle that before ordering.
Is New Balance a retailer or a brand?+
It is listed as a brand (brand), so products come from a single maker rather than a marketplace of many labels. For a reader chasing consistent fit across categories or a single point of contact on a warranty, buying from one brand is simpler than a store stocking other companies' gear.
How long has the brand been trading?+
New Balance has been building its own ranges since 1906. That history matters for gear in a way it would not for a subscription: footwear and outerwear wear out, and a long trading record suggests the company will still be there to handle a claim or a replacement pair long after a sale.
How do return windows compare with similar brands?+
For activewear brands tracked in the same group, the middle return window is 30 days and the longest is 100 days, so a month-long window is the norm rather than a bonus. Check the window on the item page, because footwear and outerwear are not always treated the same.
Does it cover water sports or camping gear?+
Neither appears in activewear, golf and hiking. Anglers and paddlers are better served by a specialist such as KastKing with water sports and outdoor clothing, and campers or cyclists by Decathlon with camping, hiking and outdoor clothing. Runmefit, at activewear and hiking, is the narrower option for readers who only need activewear and hiking.
Sources
- newbalance.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Founded, Price from, Products, Brand or store, Support channels
“Independent since 1906, we empower people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world.”
Compiled from 1 source page, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
What changed
- September 30, 2026: axisScores cost was 8.6, now 8.7
- September 30, 2026: axisScores offer was 8.6, now 8.5
- September 30, 2026: axisScores trust was 9.8, now 9.7