NEW BALANCE NUTTER

From the brilliant Sneaker Freaker blog we have found an interview with a New Balance obsessive, who calls himself the New Balance Nutter. This interview revealed some useful information to us about what it is about the brand that the consumer respects.

Below is the full script of the interview, which can be found at http://www.sneakerfreaker.com/articles/Nektarious-Liolios---New-Balance-Nutter/

When did you start getting into sneakers?

This was in 2000! Before that, I did not own a single pair of sneakers! Not even for exercise. But I needed something comfortable and I saw this one pair in a shop window that looked kinda nice. It was the only pair of sneakers in that shoe store, by the way. They were grey New Balance 574s... quite plain. I tried them on and they fit like a glove. I only knew NB as a geeky sneaker brand that lonely computer programmers wore. But then I noticed other people around me wearing NBs in some pretty impressive colours and shapes and little by little I started buying more, mainly to match my clothes.

I guess it got more serious in 2003 when I bought my first pair that I liked the look of but didn't wear because I didn't want to spoil them. That's when I really started to ‘collect'.

You're in a full-blown crush with these NBs - what is it about them that makes you gaga?

I love the colours and materials, I love the different styles, I love the fact that NB are not ubiquitous, I love the ‘Made in England' concept, I love that NB are not as commercial as other brands. 

Although I am ‘sold' on NB, sometimes, when I think I have overdone it a bit I try to slow myself down and not spend some money for a while. Ironically, I compensate for that by buying sneakers for my partner. He likes his Adidas ZXs and little by little I managed to ‘grow' his collection to 30+.

You've said you have collected and copped kicks from all over the world... any interesting stories along the way?

In my previous job I used to travel a lot around Europe so I ended up checking out the sneaker stores in every city I visited. So my collection has come from the UK, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Greece, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Italy and Luxembourg. Sometimes I would buy a pair that wasn't that special but I made it a souvenir from that particular visit. It's amazing how sometimes you'd walk into a store and they'd have only ONE pair of NB and they'd be something I had never seen before. 

Since I moved to Australia I travel a lot in the region, so I managed to add some pairs from Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. I don't have a particular story but what I found amazing is that it's normally the really GOOD shops that stock NB. And there might be only one store in the city or even the country. But luckily there's the web and eBay and I get to travel a bit. When I went to Japan, I thought I'd end up in sneaker heaven but most stores that have an amazing range online did not have that much in the actual store (i.e. Atmos). I do travel to the UK occasionally and I pop into Size? or Offspring for a fix. Crooked Tongues and Hanon are great online stores.

What style of New Balance do you prefer? Most heads go bananas over the 1500...

I only have a couple of 1500s but they ARE fantastic! Maybe I am a little traditional but I kinda like the 576s a lot. Seems to be the one made for me. And I do have an awful lot of 574s because that's what I started with. I like the look of the 4XXs but my feet don't seem to be made for them. I recently got my first 910s and I am still undecided. The bulkiness of the 580s is great but most of them seem a bit tame. Let's hope there will be something more titillating soon (like the Mad Hectic-x-Mita).

What's your grail when it comes to NB?

There are so many great kicks that I don't know where to start. And with so many obscure collabs I don't even think I know them all. Some that come to mind are:

- the eYe Junya Watanabe Comme des Garcons 1500

- the Staple design Pigeon 575

- anything by United Arrows

- the La-MJC collette 1500

What shoe are you looking forward to dropping in the future...we hear there are some dope colabos dropping soon!

I wouldn't mind seeing some musicians or artists giving their versions. And of course I wouldn't mind designing my own pair. It would be pretty erm...bling. I like sparkles!

GMID: TOP TEN CONSUMER TRENDS 2011

The 2011 consumer is branching out: mobile and online, making time for self-care to stay ahead and well. Consumers are reaching out to higher-end products, greener consumption if the price is right and experience-based consumption while considering purchases more. Brands need to tap into the on and offline cultural zeitgeist to best connect with their existing and potential customers.

1. DOLPHINS, YOUNG VALUE-SEEKERS AND OTHER FRESH TAKES ON THRIFT

For consumers worldwide, thriftier lifestyles and considered purchasing, even when buying luxury, are now the norm, fuelled by the 24/7 'servant' that is online value checking. This is impacting on the entire consumption landscape from group buying to counterfeit markets.


2. EXPERIENCE IS THE THING

2011 consumers seek a dimension of experience in consumption taking in everything from cultural breaks to the joys of unwrapping an iPhone. Tied in with this is the consumer interest in a good retail experience which means good customer care, and which for many consumers is part of the value equation.


3. GLOCAL

Today's consumer is comfortable with shrinking the radius of their lifestyle. There is a tangible virtual-to real world spill over with advocates of things local making effective use of technology. At the same time, the idea of glocal – a hybrid of global and local - recognises that global influences continue to flavour outlooks and so consumption.


4. STAYING AHEAD AND WELL

Consumer interests in sustained health and wellness are put into sharper focus post-recession with jobs and pensions less of a certainty. Globally, governments are backing healthier lifestyles and a fight against obesity. Wellness is holistic yet vanity and the quest for style persist beyond classic middle age.


5. NATURALLY GREEN IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Green concerns, well documented in consumer surveys, seem to fizzle out at the checkout where they compete with the budget constraints of shoppers. Consumers worldwide are more comfortable with affordable green offerings; readier to part with cash if products are worthy AND cheap


6. EMERGING MARKET CONSUMPTION ON A ROLL

Emerging market consumers are expressing their increasingly middle class status through consumption - eager to buy things their parents could only dream of, while still thrift-conscious. Key trends take in shopping as leisure, emerging market consumers as onliners, paying for convenience and more urban consumption styles.


7. LUXURY COMING IN FROM THE COLD

Many developed economy consumers are more open to buying high-end goods and services, particularly those with an artisanal and green flavour, and affordable indulgencies. Conspicuous consumption as an expression of wealth is thriving in several developing markets, some of it increasingly nuanced rather than purely “blingtastic”.


8. MOBILE & ONLINE: THE PHONE I CAN AFFORD

Mobiles are an even more cherished personal accessory worldwide, with many emerging market consumers going to great lengths to own a mobile with the features they 'need'. Consumers are using mobiles that connect to the internet to engage in 'outdoor cocooning' and using Apps to personalise their mobiles.


9. INFORMATION NOW

For “Digital Natives” in particular, there is a need to be connected, entertained and informed 24/7. For them, new digital technologies are primary mediators of human-to-human connections and email feels too slow. Social networks and increasingly social shopping are a huge part of this lifestyle.


10. THE GRAND ROLE OF CULTURE (in consumption)

Culture in a broad sense, being the meaning consumers make of themselves and their surroundings, is central to consumption. Culture is physical, digital, high, low, authentic and ideal. A grasp of culture is a must for brands wishing to understand consumers and get the register right in their attempts to enter and fit into the dialogue which is moving consumers more than traditional ads. 

DRAPERS ARTICLES

I have created a collection of articles found in different Drapers magazines that will help with the New Balance brief and open our eyes to what competitors are currently doing to make their way up the lifestyle market.ONITSUKA TIGER ADVERTORIAL

Firstly a brand that I see as one of New Balance's main competitors, in terms of tone of voice and the product that they are selling, Onitsuka Tiger. This article holds a focus on how the brand use craftsmanship and intricate detailing on their trainers and how this is ultimately used to appeal to consumers. A trend in brands giving a personal feel to consumers has become obvious through research, and what better way than by focusing on the handmade aspect? This will make the consumer feel as though the trainer has been crafted especially for them.

HMV AND STREET FASHION
HMV are launchung a fashion range which includes ranges from Boxfresh and Fly53 - two street brands that are very popular within the lifestyle market. As a brand that is already perceived as 'cool' because of their large involvement with music a collaboration with lifestyle brands such as these could only increase their popularity with consumers and bring the popularity of buying CDs and music back into todays culture.

I believe that this is a smart collaboration for all brands involved and is something that New Balance could take inspiration from in terms of any future collaborations they are thinking about producing.

RUNNING IN HEELS

This article shows how Rockport have combined style and comfort within their footwear. This includes the creation of technology that has been incorporated into high heels to make them comortable (BRILLIANT!)
As New Balance are seen as innovators because of the support and comfort that they offer with their products I thought this was relevant to show how other companies are now using the the kind of technology that New Balance came up with, and taking it further into the market.

ADIDAS x INTEL: AN OFF THE WALL IDEA

In conjunction with Intel, Adidas have launched the Adidas adiVerse Virtual Footwear Wall, completely interactive virtual program that catalogs more than 8,000 of Adidas' footwear retail products.
To begin the adiVerse experience, a consumer can simply walk near the adiVerse Wall, and the program will determine your sex. From there, what you want to explore is up to you; adiVerse allows you to see all of Adidas’ footwear, with 360-degree touch-screen viewing as well as product information and marketing content available for viewing. The user can then request to physically view products using the display, the request is sent to a mobile tablet device  which each store assistant will have to hand.

I first found out about this new concept for visual merchandising from an article found in Drapers, seen below. I thought that this concept was really interesting and that it was good to see a lifestyle brand collaborating with a brand thats different to what you would consider as the norm. It makes sense to collaborate with a technology brand to be able to keep up with todays consumers who expect interactive experiences with brands when they go shopping.

The videos below introduce and explain the cirtual wall in more detail. I think this is a brilliant idea! And as visual merchandising is something that New Balance tends to be a bit lack lustre in  for the UK I think campaigns such as this are perfect to take inspiration from to bring something more interesting into stores to help consumers interact with the brand on a higher level.