
Sketch of the New Balance 990.

When cutting the piece of leather that will form the 990 upper, we use as much of the raw material as possible in our continuing efforts to reduce waste.

The 990 passes through a rigorous quality assurance process, including a final inspection, before it's ready for sale.

Once individual pieces of the shoe have been cut from the raw material, they're ready to be assembled into what will eventually become the 990's upper.

New Balance's iconic "N" is stuck on the upper material before stitching it all together.

Plastic models called "lasts" are used to form the shape of the shoe.

One of the final steps involved in constructing the 990's upper is stitching the individual pieces together right before adhering it all to the sole.