In an industry driven by newness, New Balance is challenging the status quo with its Reconsidered program, a strategic initiative launched in 2024 to extend the lifecycle of footwear and promote circularity.
We spoke with Tracy Knauer, New Balance’s Senior Vice President of North America, about Reconsidered and how the program evolved from a grassroots idea to a network of 100+ stores, covering logistics, cleaning technology, and the shift toward a circular economy. We explore how Reconsidered is not only reducing waste but also redefining the brand’s relationship with its customers in a more sustainable future.
Interview Nicole Gavrilles
Images courtesy of New Balance
Congratulations on the two-year anniversary of Reconsidered. Hitting the milestone of 100,000 recirculated pairs is a significant validation of the program. How did the concept for “Reconsidered” evolve internally? Was this a top-down initiative from leadership, or did it evolve from associates looking for ways to tackle waste or rewear?
Reconsidered came to life through New Balance’s efforts to build a better, more sustainable future – an approach to doing business that we call Responsible Leadership. With partnership between associates who drive the company’s Responsible Leadership strategy, and our Ecommerce team, Reconsidered debuted in 2024. Putting the consumer at the center, we launched Reconsidered to provide access to popular like-new or gently worn styles with the goal of helping to extend the life of our footwear.
“Reconsidered” accepts both customer trade-ins and “cosmetically imperfect” inventory. Can you walk us through the journey of a returned shoe?
Reconsidered offers customers pre-owned New Balance footwear, along with footwear and apparel from consumer returns that have cosmetic imperfections and can’t be sold as new – all of which are inspected, cleaned as needed, and condition graded. Customers can trade in gently worn New Balance shoes by mail or at more than 100 retail locations and receive a voucher for accepted items toward their next purchase on newbalance.com or at participating U.S. New Balance retail locations. Cleaning, fulfillment, and warehousing are made possible by Tersus Solutions, which operates an innovative waterless cleaning technology alongside a suite of textile reclamation solutions for apparel and footwear. Items that are not eligible for resale are donated to a local non-profit organization called Soles4Souls. The Reconsidered resale experience is also powered by Archive, which manages the technology platform behind the program. Please note that clothing and accessories are not currently available for trade in.
Use our online tool to estimate how much you could earn by trading in your item.
Currently, apparel is available for purchase but not for trade-in, whereas footwear has a fully active trade-in component. Given the success of the shoe program, are you considering evolving into a closed-loop system for clothing similar to what you’ve already solved for footwear? What would need to happen operationally to make garment trade-ins a reality?
Building on strong customer response and momentum for Reconsidered, we are continuously looking for opportunities to expand the program. This includes broadening our selection of items for resale, introducing new approaches to help keep additional products in circulation, and exploring innovative business models for how and where our customers can purchase items from Reconsidered. The learnings from this initial launch of apparel will help inform how we continue to evolve our approach moving forward.
"Reconsidered came to life through New Balance’s efforts to build a better, more sustainable future – an approach to doing business that we call Responsible Leadership."
It’s exciting to hear customers’ excitement coming to New Balance specifically through Reconsidered. In an industry often obsessed with “newness,” how are you seeing this platform shift the brand’s relationship with consumers?
Since launching, Reconsidered has helped to recirculate more than 100,000 pairs of New Balance shoes. Whether it is a first New Balance purchase and an opportunity for consumers to experience the quality and craftsmanship of our products, or a platform for repeat customers to discover unique finds and re-discover past favorites, Reconsidered offers many unique options for consumers to connect with our brand. We’re excited about how our customers are responding, as the program has continued to grow tremendously over the past two years.
With 100+ retail locations now accepting trade-ins, how critical is the physical store experience to this vision? Is New Balance learning from the trade-ins to inform future designs that are easier to recycle?
New Balance stores are designed to inspire, connect, and serve a broad community, from dedicated athletes to those passionate about style and culture. Accepting trade-in at participating U.S. retail locations is one way we offer choice and convenience to our customers. What started as a pilot at eight retail locations when we launched Reconsidered, has scaled to over 100+ retail locations to drop off New Balance shoes. In addition to visiting us in-store, consumers can also mail items to us from anywhere in the U.S.
To trade in by mail, create a New Balance Reconsidered Account through our website. Once you have confirmed your trade-in online, you will receive a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label via email. Pack your item(s) and attach the label to your package. Bring the package to the nearest UPS location or drop it in your mailbox. Alternatively, you can schedule a free UPS package pickup if available in your area.
How are you ensuring transparency for the customer buying shoes or apparel from “Reconsidered”? How do you communicate the condition grading and the specific environmental impact of choosing pre-owned to the consumer?
Our company culture, which we call “One NB,” is centered around our core values of integrity, teamwork, and total customer satisfaction. As with everything we do, we aim to live those values on Reconsidered. This begins with our standards for products we accept as trade-in and those we offer for resale: functional, clean, and still in wearable condition. Also, our website is designed to communicate where products come from, how we assess and clean them, and what consumers should expect from their purchase. For example, our online shopping experience shows which condition grades are available for purchase and includes a guide to help consumers understand each condition. Shoppers are also able to filter product listings by condition to help create an intuitive user experience. Additionally, Reconsidered has a 45-day return policy, and if items arrive damaged or in a different condition to how it was described in the listing, consumers can request a refund.
"We are constantly exploring ways to keep products and materials in circulation as long as possible and believe Reconsidered is one piece of the puzzle."
The fashion industry often struggles with the logistics of reverse supply chains. What were the biggest operational hurdles in launching “Reconsidered” across 100+ participating stores, and how did you solve the challenge of logistics without creating a new carbon footprint through shipping?
Our relationships with Archive and Tersus Solutions have helped us address many of the operational challenges with reverse logistics. Similar to our goal of making trade-in simple for consumers, it’s also critical that the operational aspects of reverse logistics are easy for our store associates for the program to be scalable across our store network.
Looking beyond the two-year mark, Reconsidered is the natural next step toward keeping products in circulation at scale. If we fast-forward to 2030, what role do you hope Reconsidered plays?
We are constantly exploring ways to keep products and materials in circulation as long as possible and believe Reconsidered is one piece of the puzzle with a program objective to help extend product life for some of our product and get the most from what is already made. Looking to the future, we hope to continue accelerating the momentum we’ve seen from the first two years of the program. As we further engrain Reconsidered’s value into our engagement with consumers, we strive to make it a key component in what continues building loyalty, consideration, and interest with our customers.
For more information about New Balance Reconsidered how to recycle or purchase items, visit their website.
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Interview published for One Magazine Online