New Balance Athletics, Inc. CEO Joe Preston sees the company’s strong trend lines continuing into 2025 and building additional momentum toward achieving the goal of reaching $10 billion in sales.

Based on commentary from footwear retailers in 20024 it is clear the brand has significant retailer support as Nike sales growth faltered or slowed.

“In lifestyle running, New Balance continues to deliver strong momentum through a combination of door expansions as well as like-for-like gains,” commented Foot Locker Chief Commercial Officer Frank Bracken on the retailer’s Q3 conference call with analysts. “Franchises like the 9060 have quickly become new icons with our younger multicultural consumers across men’s, women’s and kids. Looking ahead, we continue to see room for growth with this important partner across all of our banners and geographies.”

At the National Retail Federation’s Big Show conference this week, Preston addressed the audience with his Monday, January 13, afternoon keynote conversation with Yahoo Finance’s Brad Smith, Reaching Younger Consumers and Accelerating Global Momentum, suggesting that sales at the 118-year-old company are poised to grow an additional 20 percent in 2025 after increasing 20 percent to $7.8 billion in 2024. That would place NB’s potential sales level at ~ $9.4 million for 2025.

“This is the fourth consecutive year that we’ve had over 20 percent growth in sales,” Preston told the NRF audience. He added that the company could be larger but they slowed growth through a selective distribution approach to not oversaturate the brand.

“The way we try to manage the marketplace here in the U.S., or anywhere around the globe, is making sure we show up how we want to show up,” he continued. “If we are stuck in the corner, then the customer is not going to be able to experience our brand. And retailers that we work with, we work with them to make sure that the brand is coming to play, whether that’s in store or online.”

From a regional standpoint, Preston said North America makes up about 35 percent of New Balance’s business.

“Western Europe is a big market for us and North Asia is a very big market for us as well,” Preston continued. “But our top selling styles, for the most part, are the top selling styles everywhere [across] the globe.”

Image courtesy New Balance Athletics, Inc.