We hit the road for the 30th anniversary of the New Balance 1500 in February 2019. Our crew of photographers, New Balance enthusiasts and two photo contest winners embarked on a road trip from Frankfurt, Germany to Flimby, England where all the »Made In England« magic happens.
Never heard of Flimby before? That’s probably because with a population of 1,700 people the coastal village in North West England is far away from being a fashion metropolis, but for true New Balance lovers Flimby is the source of outstanding sneaker craftsmanship.
Why is an American company founded in Boston in 1906 manufacturing some of their most valuable products outside the US? Founder William J. Riley immigrated to the United States from Britain yet his European roots still influence the history of the company to this day.
Flimby became a sanctuary for sneaker collectors over recent years and our team needed no second invitation when provided with the opportunity to visit the Flimby factory. On our 6 days road trip from Frankfurt to Flimby and return we drove almost 3.000 kilometers and visited beautiful places like Dunkirk, Calais, Stamford and Scarborough.
30 pairs of sneakers, nine fellows and one common goal: Visiting the New Balance Factory in the northwest of England.
»A bientot Calais & Hello England!« With the sun on our back, we finally touched British grounds.
We could look upon grass-green hills as far as we could see, fields fenced by miles of dry-stone walls.
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Finally, the most anticipated day and the ultimate highlight of »The Trip« has arrived: The New Balance factory.
We collected unforgettable memories and six sizes of the New Balance x 43einhalb M150043EH. One last night in Dover.
We cannot thank the teams from New Balance England and New Balance Germany enough for this once in a lifetime experience.
Here are our favourite pics and impressions of our road trip:
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