#NewBalanceIsFine
Is it still racist to support New Balance? | The Tylt
Is it still racist to support New Balance?
In 2016, New Balance gave then newly-elected President Trump immediate support on one of his international trade policies. Accusations of racism swamped the shoe company as a result, but is it possible for an entire company to be racist? The Boston-based company says its support was driven by policy and not ideology. All are welcome to wear "the bleeding edge of dad sneakers." What do you think?
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Is it still racist to support New Balance?
#NewBalanceIsRacist
Per The Washington Post, New Balance’s response to President Trump’s first trade moves prompted one writer for an anti-Semitic, white supremacist publication to explain his new shoe-related allegiances:
I’m a Nike guy. Or rather, I was...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.
The support of white supremacists and anti-Semites lends New Balance a racist identity, whether the company intended for that to happen or not.
New Balance responded to such claims swiftly and vehemently:
The Boston-based shoe company was once praised for its American manufacturing. The company endorsed a policy that would ultimately bolster its business, and theoretically boost American business as a result. The Wall Street Journal’s Sara Germano reports:
#NewBalanceIsRacist
But for many New Balance customers, supporting the trade policies of a new president who actively spread racist and oppressive speech throughout his campaign—think back to the days of grabbing women freely, deporting Muslims, and calling Mexicans rapists and murderers—is akin to supporting the racist himself.
The New Balance protesters were the original tennis-shoe fire starters:
