quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:
Haven't in years. Won't start now.

I've worn New Balance for years they make wide widths and still manufacture in the US...

I wore Nike running shoes for 30+ years, switched to New Balance after Trump got elected. NB had sent out a tweet or press release congratulating Trump and - shocker - the libs went crazy. That led to my going with New Balance.

Edited to add: Found the old article about why I went to New Balance. I wasn't anti-Nike but simply pro NB:

http://www.courant.com/busines...-20161115-story.html

New Balance Customers Revolt Over Trump Comments

KATIE METTLER
Washington Post
Nov 15, 2016

Last week, not even a full 24 hours after President-elect Donald Trump earned that title, a senior official for the shoe company New Balance invoked his name in an interview.

"The Obama administration turned a deaf ear to us and frankly, with President-elect Trump, we feel things are going to move in the right direction," Matthew LeBretton, New Balance's vice president of public affairs, told the Wall Street Journal.

The answer was in response to a question about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, an initiative led by President Barack Obama and staunchly opposed by Trump. Boston-based New Balance, the only major company that still makes athletic shoes in the United States, has said the trade policy would hinder its business and help competitors who operate overseas.

Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also opposed the deal.

But that didn't stop opponents of Trump from turning on New Balance altogether and accusing the company of formally endorsing not just his stance on TPP, but entire platform.

"So the fact that he's a racist and wholly unfit for the presidency didn't bother them?" tweeted one woman. "All about profit."

"I have been wearing New Balance shoes (at $160/pair) for the past 10 years," wrote another. "If they support Trump, I've bought my last pair."

To let the company know just how angry they were, some backed up their verbal protest with action - and fire.

Videos of flaming and burnt-to-a-crisp shoes popped up in social media feeds. Other symbolically flushed their shoes down the toilet or tossed them in the trash can, a backlash that prompted the company to clarify its remarks.

In a statement to the Boston Globe, New Balance defended its opposition to TPP, said it wanted to "make more shoes in the US, not less," and emphasized that it continues to support the trade policies endorsed by Clinton, Sanders and Trump during the election cycle.

In a separate statement posted to social media, the company tackled the insinuation from outraged protesters that their support of Trump's TPP stance somehow meant they also supported his more controversial statements - like banning Muslims from entering the United States, a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants or building a wall along the Mexican border.

All this, however, did not stop one more dividing force from smearing the New Balance brand.

In a post written over the weekend, neo-Nazi blogger Andrew Anglin declared New Balance the "Official Shoes of White People."

"I'm a Nike guy. Or rather, I was," Anglin wrote on his popular website the Daily Stormer, which promotes an anti-Semitic, white supremacist agenda. "It's time to get on-board with New Balance now. Their brave act has just made them the official brand of the Trump Revolution."

He tells his readers New Balance is now their "uniform" and claims they should view the company's statement on Trump - taken out of context - as "a gesture to support White people and to support US manufacturing." He also wrote that he believed it was all a marketing scheme to gain customers who voted for Trump.

"This will be fantastic," Anglin wrote. "We will be able to recognize one another by our sportswear."

After Anglin co-opted their brand and associated its shoes with a neo-Nazi agenda, New Balance was forced to release a second statement on the Trump comment.

"New Balance does not tolerate bigotry or hate in any form," the statement said.

Anglin followed up with a second post, claiming, falsely, that New Balance's twitter account had been hacked by someone attempting to denounce their "Republican agenda."

NEVER.

As I posted in the original Nike thread, I've been a loyal patron of the Nike brand since I was about 17 and started playing competitive tennis. Except for our rackets, my brother and I wore Nike clothing from literally head to toe...hat or head band, wrist bands, shirts, shorts, socks, shoes, and I'm sure other minor accessories.

The last time I bought Nike shoes about 4 years ago, I bought two pair. I might just have to donate the pair that's still in the box, as I haven't played enough tennis to wear out the first pair yet.

Nike can kiss my hairy, white, Italian, dago, goombah, sphincter hole. C-YUH!! Good luck with your stock, Nike. Just me alone, they just lost about $250 in sales because I saw a great looking tennis shirt and shoes being worn while watching the US Open. Screw 'em!!!

I think I'll check out New Balance and/or Adidas clothing and shoes.

Amazes me that companies, entertainers, etc., risk alienating about half of the population in taking a stance for something that has fiery social/political leanings, rather than just staying neutral and not pissing anybody off.

I'm only OK at math, but if I piss off and lose half my potential market, then I better be damned sure the other half are going to double, or greater, their spending on my products.

I haven't seen what Nike is paying kapernick, but I'm sure they've exceeded that amount in free publicity over the last two days.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
Doesn’t everyone in this “demographic” on a forum like this who says, “I haven’t bought anything from XYZ for years,” just validate a company’s decision?
“Yeah, see? We’re not selling anything to that type of people anyway, so how they react to this move doesn’t matter. The people who buy our products will either think it’s a good idea and support us, or won’t care.”

Well some of us have kids who far prefer to spend our money on their clothes than spend their own.

He who pays the Piper calls the tune. In our house, there will be no Nike tunes playing anytime soon.

Screw them and their overpriced, sweat shop produced products.

Never bought any in my life. I don't even own a pair of tennis shoes now. Been a long time since I've worn anything but boots, preferably steel toed.
When I was a teenager, I had Adidas.

I don't think Nike is at the stage where any publicity is good publicity. They already have pretty much universal name recognition. This feels like a mistake perpetrated by a leftist living in an echo chamber.

Why doesn't that whiny bitch go march in Chicago or West Balto? How about carrying the message to Memphis or New Orleans?

Nope, Safe at home with his millions, that's Ol' Mr. 1-10.

Nope. No need to buy their products with all the other choices out there.

Nike has foolishly decided to make a statement. I supect the buying public will also make a statement, to the detriment of Nike and their shareholders.

Their shoes were always ill fitting for me so I've never bought them. Never purchased any of their polo shirts, I am almost exclusively Oakley now. I used to use their golf clubs and golf balls. It was time for a new set for me so I went with Taylormade. As far as golf balls go now, any brand but Nike. Fuck'em.

Leseee- Nike, Nike, Nike...

Oh, ok-

In 1982, I had Nike t-shirt. It was red and had a white Nike logo.

I'm pretty sure I don't have it any more, but if I do, I'll find it and not wear it.

That'll show the fuckers.

Dang, that joke wore out quick, huh? What is that, like the fifth time in this thread?

Time to retire the joke. Joke is worn out. Joke gave its all. Now leave joke in peace to die of old age.

Poor joke. It has that disease where you age rapidly and you're old before your time.

I don’t typically make purchases based on corporate views. However, when a company blatantly throws it in my face I avoid them. I have 6 kids and two of them are one active duty with me. We buy a good amount of athletic clothing. Nike will never see another red cent from me. Under Armour supports veteran programs and they are now my go to brand. I just bought one of their hats today named Freedom and their logo is in the colors of our flag.

I just want to point out that Al Bundy once scored 4 touchdowns in one game...let's not tarnish Al's legacy by comparing him to the leftist loser.

I don't remember the last time I bought Nike anything.