Tag Archives: new balance atlanta

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New Balance Footbed Construction

A shoe’s footbed construction has a major impact on its performance characteristics. New Balance uses four types of footbed construction to deliver the optimal blend of stability, flexibility and weight.

Board Lasted Footbed
Board lasted shoes have a sturdy insole board running the entire length of the foot bed. This type of construction provides the greatest stability.

Combi-Lasted Footbed
Combi-lasted shoes employ slip lasting in the forefoot for enhanced flexibility and an insole board in the rearfoot to control excessive motion.

Strobel Lasted Footbed
Strobel lasted shoes are constructed with a thin material acting like a sock liner stretched along its perimeter. This construction provides an excellent blend of stability and flexibility.

Slip Lasted Footbed
Slip lasted shoes are constructed without an insole board. This provides the greatest possible flexibility and lightest weight.

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New Balance rock&tone

–Press Release–
New Balance Introduces 1442 rock&tone Toning Shoe and Sandal
April 1st 2010

Boston, MA – For spring 2010, New Balance is reframing the way women feel about exercise so they can embrace all that it can be: an indulgence for the mind, body and soul. New Balance Wellness, a mindset more than a category, will be a focus for the brand beginning this spring. Kicking off with the first footwear collection to support Wellness is the 1442 rock&tone toning shoe and toning sandal.

Designed for walking, rock&tone footwear tones the muscles from your legs to your glutes to your core and helps burn calories. Burning calories is the basis of weight loss, a goal for a healthy wellbeing. While rock&tone footwear provides similar benefits as competitive products, consumer testing has shown it to be the most wearable and most comfortable perception testing in New Balance’s state of the art Sports Research Laboratory. Also, test consumers have responded positively to the lower profile sole unit and overall more stylish aesthetic.

Walking in rocker footwear changes the way you strike the ground and alters the pressure distribution under your feet. With every step you take in New Balance rock&tone footwear, the heel-to-toe rocking motion demands a greater range of front to back motion and increased muscle use, resulting in toning from the calves to the glutes to the core and ultimately more overall calories burned. In wear tests, subjects began to notice the toning effects after the first week of use.

The design of New Balance rock&tone footwear was based on learnings from the pedorthic and rehabilitation communities which show that rocker bottoms encourage the use of alternative muscle groups resulting in additional toning and caloric expenditure.

Consultations with Dr. Joseph Hamill, PhD, a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts and one of the world’s experts on lower-extremity biomechanics along with the New Balance Sports Research Laboratory, have illustrated the positive effects of walking in New Balance rock&tone footwear. Additionally, a variety of tests have been performed which substantiate these claims, including Electromyography (muscle activity), VO2 (oxygen consumption), and “blind” human perception testing.

The New Balance rock&tone footwear is available in two versatile options: a shoe and a sandal. Both feature a rounded sole unit made of a soft, lightweight cushioning material (Acteva Ultra LITE).

1442 rock&tone shoe
The 1442 rock&tone shoe is available in eight colorways including white/silver, grey, black/white, black, silver/blue, white/green, white/pink and white/purple in a variety of material packages which include mesh, all over leather and suede which allows the wearer to look fashionable while receiving the toning benefits of the shoe. Available April 2010.

1442 rock&tone sandal
The 1442 rock&tone sandal is available in three colorways including white/silver/purple, black/grey/pink and brown/tan beginning in May 2010.

About New Balance Wellness
New Balance Wellness is reframing the way women feel about exercise so they can embrace all that it can be, an indulgence for the mind, body and soul. New Balance Wellness encompasses a multitude of activities, including running, walking, training, outdoor and more. It crosses all categories and activity levels. So no matter what activity or activity level, women will have what they need to engage their minds, bodies and souls for increased energy, awareness, joy and personal sustainability. For more information, please visit http://www.tricitynewbalance.com/wellness-toning-c-151.html

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New Balance Widths

Here at TriCity, we take a lot of phone calls in regards to exactly how much extra room is added when you change the width of your shoe and where exactly this extra room is added. Hopefully the information below will help!!

Measurements between different sizes and widths

Width Differences
There is an 8/16” difference between a B and D width and a 6/16” (3/8”) difference between 4E and 6E. It’s important to note that this is the maximum difference in width. This occurs across the ball of the foot. There is less of a difference as you move towards the tip of the shoe and towards the heel.

Length Differences
There is a 1/6” difference between each ½ size (ie, between 9 and 9.5). For every ½ size up, the width (across the ball) will increase by 1/8 of an inch.

New Balance Widths

Having the proper width shoe is crucial for proper foot comfort and athletic performance. For some individuals, extra wide shoes are the best fit to correct common foot problems. New Balance is the only athletic shoe company to feature wide width shoes to accommodate a larger foot size. New Balance recognizes the need for wide shoes, including wide womens shoes in their premium line of running shoes.

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Summer Is Coming: Thinking About Hitting The Trails?

During the summer months many of you will be hitting the trails and it’s important that you figure out what type of shoe that you need to maximize your experience and to keep you safe. I’ve hiked myself and have noticed the difference I feel when choosing whether or not I should have a sneaker on (for easier trails) versus a hiking boot (for tougher trailer). I’ve also had a lot of friends injure themselves by not having the right type of shoe on and slipping or falling off of ledges due to lack of support or grip.

As stated before thinking about what type of hiking you are going to be doing is key. Choosing boots that are made to support you and your party (backpack, wagons, etc.) is important so map out how much weight you will be important.

Trail Shoes: Trail shoes are great for hiking in hot weather or during times where rain is not foretasted. They are also great for short walks and climbs.

Trail Hikers: Are the next step up. These will be for those hikers who are going on an all day event where the climbs are a bit stepper. Trail Hikers are also a great idea if the weather is foretasted to be rainy or there was a recent storm that came through the area you are looking to hike at.

Mountaineering: These are for those extreme climbers. If you are planning to hike a large mountain or climb during the winter these types of boots will provide the support and dependability you are going to need up on the mountain.

What is a good boot?

Good boots have a rock hard bottom on them: Make sure that when you try them on to ask the store if they have a “rugged” terrain test where you can walk over stones of some sort. If they do not have this test then try to see if you can feel the bottom of your thumb through the sole of the shoe. If you can feel your thumb then the shoe probably won’t support a hike.

Good boots provide ankle support: When trying the shoe on see how far you can twist your ankle. Remember, when you are up on the mountain you will encounter many situations where your ankle is tested. By testing the ankle before buying you’ll make sure that you don’t end your day early with a trip to the doctors.

Good boots are weather-proof: While many hikers try and predict the weather no one can actually control the weather. Weather can change in an instant and if you are caught in the rain or snow your feet will be at risk for blisters which will decrease your performance on the hike. I’ve spoken with many people who did not have weather-proof boots and have since been turned off to hiking because of their experience on the mountain.

Good boots fit right: Make sure to wear the socks you plan to wear on the hike when testing out boots. They should be snug as you’ll avoid frostbite by not allowing more air in (remember, weather-proof boots work best!). Also make sure that you test the boots on multiple surfaces along with inclines and declines.

Other Tips:

Make sure that after you buy the boots that you follow the recommended maintenance suggestions as this will keep your boot.

Break in your boots. Try taking short hikes or walks around the neighborhood, backyard (if you have woods), park, etc.

The price you pay is what you get: I wish I could write that good hiking boots cost $15.99 but that just simply isn’t true. Most good boots are made of leather which drives cost up a bit. Good boots can cost anywhere between $50-$200 depending on what features you need and what type of hike you are about to embark on. My recommendation is to try several boots, select a few that would work best for you, and then worry about the price tag. You should be able to have several pricing options if you can find a few shoes.

In closing I hope that you are all having a great spring season and look forward to seeing some of you in the upcoming weeks at my stores. It’s not easy to find the right shoe and whether the shoe is for hiking, athletics, or just a walk around the block it’s important that you find the right shoe for you that fits. If you want more information feel free to check out our websites listed on the right or comment on the bottom.

Regards,

Wes

About Wes: Wes McCluney was raised in Memphis, TN where his family owned and operated Athletic Shoes, Etc for over 25 years. He was born into the shoe business and during early childhood was actively involved in the community and especially sports. After playing football for and graduating from The University of Virginia Wes became actively involved in building the New Balance Brand in Atlanta, GA. He joined his Father and business partner in opening several New Balance stores throughout Tennessee and Georgia and was the vision behind http://www.TriCityNewBalance.com