Boston-Based New Balance Signs Marvin Harrison Jr.
The top wide receiver prospect in the NFL draft already knows one team he is going to. New Balance signed Marvin Harrison Jr. this week, continuing this Boston-based brand’s interest in partnering with the NFL.
Sports lifestyle reporter for ESPN and Boardroom, Nick DePaula, outlined the new partnership yesterday stating on X that this will be “a multi-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal.” The press piece features Harrison Jr. sporting a New Balance logo sports shirt.
“Harrison is expected to be the face of New Balance’s expansion into football apparel,” Bleacher Report said of the 21-year-old who is the son of hall-of-fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. He will join Will Anderson Jr. from the Houston Texans and Chase Young of the New Orleans Saints as NFL stars who are New Balance Athletes.
Andscape detailed how a focus on cleats is also seemingly part of the initial Harrison Jr. promotions. “New Balance handpicked Harrison to headline the first cleats in the brand’s 118-year history designed specifically for American football,” they said. Two different models are being unveiled to coincide with the draft. Both appear to be simple in aesthetics, lightweight, and specific to performing on a football field surface.
What Does It Mean That New Balance Signed Marvin Harrison Jr.?
Well, aside from the fact that Harrison Jr. is a big-name player expected to be the face of an NFL franchise, this deal also says something about New Balance. The brand has been synonymous with producing great lifestyle gear. Their 550 and 574 model sneakers continue to be very popular. What’s fascinating is that the models don’t change much, preserving their classic look. However, new colorways are often introduced.
In addition, New Balance has had a strong presence in the sport of lacrosse. They are usually the top brand provider in lacrosse cleats, including in the professional Premier Lacrosse League.
Now, New Balance has made it clear that they have a plan to ease themselves into the NFL and football world. Marvin Harrison Jr. told Andscape in an interview about this partnership that “The cleats felt great, largely because New Balance has already built a reputation for comfort based on lifestyle and other athletic shoes for different sports.”
New Balance is not the only Boston-based brand that is tactfully leaning into the NFL. NOBULL has also partnered with the league over recent years. This includes being the official sponsor of the combine and merging with Tom Brady’s TB12 Brand.
Now with Harrison Jr. on-board, there is one intriguing question that remains. Might the New England Patriots select Harrison Jr. at number three in the draft?
New Balance's Artist Roster Includes Jack Harlow
It used to be that when you heard of an artist “signed” to a brand name that was typically a record label. Today, it’s not uncommon for such acts to be part of a major non-music brand. In fact, over the past few years, artists have been signed to New Balance and will often rock their footwear on stage.
The footwear company has put a lot of effort — and money — into changing their image. In 2011’s Crazy, Stupid, Love Ryan Gosling’s Jacob Palmer famously dunked on Steve Carell’s Cal Weaver for wearing New Balances. “In that case, you got no right to wear New Balance sneakers, ever,” Jacob tells Cal, who was praising his 407’s while Jacob was trying to give him a lesson on style, and what not to wear.
New Balance has made a massive comeback, however. Much of this has to do with their retro and vintage approach. Sneaker lines like their 574 model have been the poster shoe for those who are completely embracing this vintage styling. You may even see striped tube socks in tandem with the 574’s.
Collabs
Complex Magazine detailed how New Balance was moving past their “dad” brand image. In their story, they highlight the company’s approach to being open to collaborations and allowing them to be innovative paths into new demographics. “Media impressions for its collabs increased around 200 percent from early 2021 to early 2022,” Complex explained.
In a recent feature by AOIbot that details the favorite sneaker of every state in the country, New Balance was all over the map. In fact, the NB 550 was Massachusetts’ favorite shoe.
Boston + Sports
With New Balance’s headquarters located in the Boston area, the brand has made a strong effort to have a visible local presence. Former Red Sox players like Dustin Pedrioa (who was a fan favorite) started wearing New Balance cleats. Now, they have partnered with the most popular player in the game in Shohei Ohtani. They announced the long-term deal back in January. Ohtani is not only one of the most popular players in MLB, but in the entire sport, globally.
New Balance has also had a firm grip on Lacrosse. They’ve designed and delivered on the most common brand of Lax cleats. Premier Lacrosse League All-Stars like Trevor Baptiste often collaborate with New Balance as well.
Narrowing in on the entertainment world though, you will find a number of artists sporting New Balance lines on stage. With touring being the primary avenue for artists to maximize their income, many are finding creative ways to to enhance their personal brands by using their platform to showcase others they have teamed with. In addition, comfort and support are important to artists who need to take the stage every night.
Here, we will take a further look at present-day artists who are signed to New Balance.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
