Behind Brands' first football boots

New Balance is on a mission to grow as a global sports brand. The Boston-based independent athletics company has entered one new sport after another. Its latest attempt is to tackle football, releasing a pair of football-specific boots this summer – the Prodigy and the Fortress New Balance's first-ever foray into football.

“Every time we get into any sport it's because we can make it better and improve athletes' experiences,” says Dave Millman, general manager of playing field and sports at New Balance and the lead developer of football boots. Football is no different.

Millman says the brand has the knowledge of building stud plates and creating a superior fit in performance sports. The timing was good for football, he says. We can deliver a unique experience for the athlete where fit and comfort are central. We believe that high comfort and high performance can go together.

That's the focus.

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New Balance, a brand founded in 1906, started with running. It has added a large number of sports over the decades, ranging from the sports of football, baseball and lacrosse to the recent additions of basketball and tennis. Moving to footballsomething Millman calls an exciting opportunity to enter a mature market with a new perspective simply taps into the knowledge the brand already has (watch the introductory video here).

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Millman says the value proposition in football lies in creating a fit-oriented design with an increased level of comfort.

It has long been known that New Balance offers shoes in different widths. This is no different in football, with the skills-oriented Prodigy available in two widths and the more robust Fortress in three different widths. We over-invested in width measurements and delivered a new last for the American football athlete, says Millman. Using 3D foot scans conducted in the brand's sports research lab, multiple rounds of prototyping and years of on-field testing, Millman says the new cleats have a fit that's unique in the industry, offering a range of options to suit the different shapes and sizes. foot sizes common in football.

The view on comfort is also unique. New Balance delivers the brand's FuelCell foam cushioning as an insert in the cleat, with a level of comfort not normally found in sports. It is a proven technology for us as a brand and can be brought to an athlete who has no experience with it, says Millman.

By introducing two different models, New Balance can reach the range of athletes that the sport encompasses. The Prodigy is built for the skill player, the burner. Designed with a low-cut upper, the stud geometry is T-shaped for traction and multi-directional turning. Millman calls the upper the right weight, a blend of enough material to support the athlete, yet light enough to enable speed.

The upper of both cleats features a bootie construction to give athletes a secure feeling without pinching. With a traditional lacing system built on top, Millman says it allows athletes to fine-tune their fit the way they want.

The fort has a built-up design, a mid-top intended to provide security. This athlete is thinking about moving on, not driving around, Millman says. We lock them up in a way that makes that possible. Because athletes carrying the fort exert more ground force, the triangular lugs are built for digging.

New Balance used high-speed video to help understand the different motions and forces involved in each movement, defining both cam technique and upper construction. Working with athletes at all levels, New Balance recently hired Marvin Harrison Jr. signed, who will wear the Prodigy, while Chase Young and Will Anderson Jr. will carry the Fortress from professional to college and high school, Millman says the combination of field testing and laboratory research data helped both refine the engineering at the beginning of the project and fine-tune the details at the end .

Laboratory testing allowed New Balance to tune plate stiffness based on specific flex tests and select plate and durable plate materials based on stiffness and energy return values.

It all debuts on June 26, when New Balance launches black and gold and white and gold limited edition colorways. The black and white core colors will then be launched on July 18. Expect these to be the main colors the first year for that New balance will start expanding the range in 2025.

We're entering a marketplace with many brands, Millman says. We want to make sure the design element is truly uniquely New Balance. He says the sleek and detailed aesthetic with great hand feel showcases the brand's intelligent approach and focus on performance. By limiting colorways early on, New Balance can really emphasize the introduction of the cleats and keep them recognizable across the industry.

We wanted to take an intelligent approach to a better-fitting product and believe we were able to do that with the Prodigy and Fortress, says Millman. We want to provide an athlete experience that we don't think they've had the chance to experience yet.

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