A Different Take with Linda Boff
A Different Take with Linda Boff

Why Being Private Is New Balance’s Secret Weapon

September 23, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Why Being Private Is New Balance’s Secret Weapon

New Balance is one of the few major global sportswear brands that remains privately held, with the founding family still in control. That structural fact, according to the company’s CMO and Brand President Chris Davis, gives the brand something most competitors lack: the ability to plan in decades rather than quarters. But as the conversation with Davis, Complex editor Matt Weldy, and Kith founder Ronnie Fieg makes clear, being private is not a magic wand. What matters is what a company does with that freedom—and New Balance’s story is about patience exercised through specific, often counterintuitive choices.

The Long Game in Sports Marketing

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:27) **The Core Thesis: Privacy as a Strategic Advantage** - Linda Boff introduces the central argument: New Balance’s private ownership gives it the freedom to play the long game, but patience alone isn't enough.
  • 2 (01:32) **Matt Weldy on the Value of Private Ownership** - The journalist explains how being family-owned protects New Balance from short-term shareholder pressure.
  • 3 (03:04) **Chris Davis on the "Endorsed by No One" Era** - The CMO describes New Balance’s historical strategy of avoiding athlete marketing to focus on product R&D.
  • 4 (04:20) **Evidence of Long-Term Thinking: Manufacturing & Collabs** - The host connects the long-term strategy to two tangible choices: keeping U.S. and U.K. factories open and building patient partnerships.
  • 5 (05:07) **Ronnie Fieg’s Origin Story: A 30-Year Relationship** - The Kith founder describes his first experience with New Balance in 1995 while working at a shoe store in New York.
  • 6 (08:09) **The Emotional Core of Successful Collabs** - The host reflects on Ronnie’s story, noting that the best New Balance collaborations feel like finding someone who already understood the brand.
  • 7 (09:40) **The Scarcity Paradox: Hype vs. Craft** - The conversation shifts to how New Balance handles scarcity, a key tension in sneaker culture.

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Guests on this episode

Chris Davis Ronnie Fieg

Show Notes

What if staying private is one of New Balance’s biggest competitive advantages?

In Episode 3 of A Different Take, host Linda Boff explores how New Balance’s independence allowed the 100-year-old brand to think differently—playing the long game, building meaningful collaborations, and creating cultural relevance without chasing every trend.

New Balance CMO Chris Davis joins creative visionary and New Balance collaborator Ronnie Fieg, alongside Complex Associate Editor Matt Welty, offering an outside perspective on the brand’s evolution, collaborations, and culture.

A Different Take is hosted by Linda Boff.


0:00 Introduction

1:02 Private Ownership

2:23 The Long Game

4:45 Ronnie Fieg

7:11 The Product Has a Memory

8:38 Scarcity Without The Hype Machine

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A Different Take with Linda Boff

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