No, New Balance is not considered a fast fashion brand. It operates on a traditional sportswear model that prioritizes quality, performance, and durability over the rapid, trend-driven production cycles that define companies like Shein or Zara.
The brand has made notable ethical efforts, particularly with its US-based manufacturing, but faces criticism for wage and transparency issues in its overseas supply chain. Its sustainability initiatives show progress through measurable goals and the use of recycled materials, but these efforts remain moderate and don't yet place it among industry leaders. Here's a breakdown of New Balance's practices:
New Balance's business model is fundamentally different from a fast fashion company. Its slower production cycles, emphasis on quality, and higher price points place it in the traditional sportswear category.
New Balance demonstrates an above-average commitment to ethical practices compared to many sportswear brands, but significant gaps remain in its global supply chain.
The brand's ethical performance is mixed. Its US-based factories are known for adhering to high labor and safety standards, which is a commendable part of its identity. However, the majority of its production occurs in countries like Vietnam and China, where some supplier factories have documented labor issues. Reports indicate that workers in some Vietnamese factories earn around $180-$200 per month, far below the estimated living wage of $350-$400 for the region, with some working up to 70 hours of overtime per week.
While New Balance publishes a partial list of its suppliers and is a member of the Fair Labor Association (FLA), it does not offer full traceability across its entire supply chain. This lack of complete transparency makes it difficult for consumers and watchdogs to verify that its code of conduct is consistently enforced in every factory that produces its goods.
New Balance uses leather and wool but has policies against using fur, exotic skins, or angora. The company sources leather from tanneries that meet Leather Working Group (LWG) environmental standards. However, it does not hold any specific animal welfare certifications like "PETA-Approved Vegan," as many of its products contain animal-derived materials.
New Balance is taking measurable steps toward sustainability and has set clear public goals, but its overall environmental performance is moderate and still has significant room for growth.
New Balance is slowly integrating more sustainable materials into its products. Currently, about 10-15% of its materials are from recycled or preferred sources, with a goal to increase this to 25% by 2025. The brand uses recycled polyester in apparel and shoe linings and sources leather from environmentally certified tanneries, but conventional synthetics still make up the vast majority of its material consumption.
The company has committed to being carbon neutral across its direct operations (Scope 1 and 2 emissions) by 2030 and has already achieved a 15% reduction in these emissions since 2019. A major transparency gap, however, is the lack of public reporting on its Scope 3 emissions, which includes the environmental impact of raw material extraction and processing and typically constitutes the largest part of a fashion brand's carbon footprint.
New Balance has introduced some circularity initiatives, including product take-back programs in certain locations and the "ReVive" line of sneakers made from at least 50% recycled content. The brand is also working to reduce plastic in its packaging. However, comprehensive metrics on textile waste reduction and unsold inventory management are not publicly available.
New Balance occupies a middle ground. It is far from being a fast fashion brand and demonstrates a genuine commitment to responsible practices in some areas, but it has not yet achieved a leadership position in either ethics or sustainability.
New Balance earns a B for its ethical practices, largely due to its commitment to domestic manufacturing and its membership in the Fair Labor Association. These efforts place it above many competitors. However, the brand is held back from a higher grade by documented evidence of wages below living standards in parts of its overseas supply chain and a lack of full supply chain transparency.
We grade New Balance's sustainability a C+. The company has set clear, Science-Based Targets for emissions reduction in its own operations and is making progress on incorporating recycled materials. The grade is limited by its low overall percentage of sustainable materials, its reliance on conventional synthetics, and a critical lack of transparency around its Scope 3 emissions, which represent its biggest environmental impact.
If you're looking for athletic and lifestyle brands with a stronger, more transparent commitment to people and the planet, consider these alternatives:
A B Corp and 1% for the Planet member, Patagonia is an industry leader in using recycled materials (over 70% of its line), ensuring Fair Trade Certified production, and offering ironclad repair programs to extend product life. While they specialize in outdoor gear, their shoes and apparel often crossover into daily lifestyle wear.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Known for its comfortable, minimalist sneakers, Allbirds is a certified B Corp that built its brand on sustainable materials like responsibly sourced merino wool and eucalyptus tree fiber. The company is transparent about its carbon footprint for every product and is actively working to become a zero-carbon business.
Shop now at allbirds.com
This B Corp brand creates stylish sneakers using innovative, sustainable materials like organic cotton, wild rubber from the Amazon rainforest, and polyester made from recycled plastic bottles. Veja is famously transparent about its production costs and pays its cotton farmers and factory workers fair wages well above the market rate.
Shop now at veja-store.com
For comfortable, eco-friendly basics and activewear with a similar price point to New Balance apparel, look no further than Tentree. This certified B Corp uses sustainable materials like TENCEL™, organic cotton, and recycled polyester, ensures ethical manufacturing, and plants 10 trees for every item purchased.
Shop now at tentree.com
Focusing specifically on performance running, Brooks is a strong competitor that aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. The brand is increasing its use of recycled polyester, created the first biodegradable running shoe midsole, and is committed to high labor standards in its factories, publishing a full list of its suppliers.
Shop now at brooksrunning.com
New Balance's "Made in US" sneakers are more expensive primarily due to significantly higher labor costs. Workers in their US factories are paid fair American wages and benefits, which is much more costly than labor in its overseas factories. This also reflects a commitment to quality craftsmanship and materials sourced domestically.
New Balance's US and UK factories do not operate under conditions considered to be sweatshops. However, the term can be applied to some of its overseas suppliers where workers face low wages that don't meet living standards and work excessive overtime. While the company has a code of conduct to prevent this, ensuring compliance across a vast supply chain remains a challenge.
Ethically, New Balance has a slight edge due to its domestic manufacturing footprint, which provides more jobs and ensures higher labor standards for a portion of its products. From a sustainability perspective, all three brands are at a similar stage of progress, setting major climate goals and incorporating recycled materials, but all are still heavily reliant on conventional manufacturing processes.
New Balance has set several key goals to improve its sustainability. These include using 100% preferred leather and 50% recycled polyester by 2025, reaching 100% renewable electricity for its own operations by 2025, and slashing its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
