Insight: The Rebirth of New Balance

The world of fashion is certainly volatile.

And so it is with sneakers. Of course, trends can also swing from one side to the other, and in recent years, New Balancehas reemerged as the king of casual sneakers. But how has the Boston-based label managed to turn things around after decades in the shadow of the Nike/Adidas duopoly? There are several reasons.

The internet age is also the age of internet celebrities, and in recent times, New Balance has reinvented itself as the shoe brand of choice for movie stars, athletes, and supermodels. Not just any movie star, athlete, and supermodel, but the biggest and most hyped names around right now. Hollywood golden boy Timothée Chalamet regularly opts for the Jaden Smith-designed Vision Racers, Tom Holland for the 237, and Zoë Kravitz's 990.Kaia Gerber and Rihanna are also among the brand's most loyal fans. Even Leonardo DiCaprio was spotted wearing a pair of 547s earlier this year.

The point is, the power of influencers is tangible. If the likes of Chalamet and Holland—whose public outfits are photographed and analyzed—prefer New Balance sneakers over others, they do so for a reason. And that reason is therefore good enough for everyone else, too.

Interestingly, these sneakers aren't particularly expensive. The 574, for example, the same pair worn by Mr. DiCaprio, retails for around 90 euros and sells for 2-300 euros on the aftermarket. The ultra-popular NB 550shover around the same price point. Giving yourself a Leonardo DiCaprio vibe for the price of a good night out can only be described as good value.

The second reason New Balance has climbed the ladder of popular style is the brand's diverse—and long—list of collaborators. Levi's, Aimé Leon Dore, Aries, and Stone Island are all among the names that have (or will have) collaborated with the shoemaker on sought-after collections in recent times.

So, in the end, New Balance returned to fashion exactly as you'd imagine: enlisting the help of A-list celebrities and recruiting a long list of established and emerging brands to promote its sneaker-shaped vision. But that's not the case. Instead, those celebrities and brands found their way to New Balance, not the other way around. DiCaprio followed Holland, who followed Chalamet, who followed Jaden, and so on. Aimé Leon Dore wanted what Levi's was getting, who had what Casablanca already had. Get it? That's fashion. One domino falls, the rest follow.