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New Balance has long been viewed as the preeminent producer of Dad Shoes, and Longwood’s men’s basketball team referenced that reality with a post that it whipped up for Father’s Day. However, it appears Nike wasted no time reminding the program who pays to sponsor them based on what transpired after the joke hit the internet.
New Balance has a history stretching back to the start of the 20th century. The Boston-based company initially specialized in the production of inserts designed to increase arch support, but it began producing its own shoes in the 1960s while targeting the runners who initially served as its primary customer base.
The brand has since expanded into other domains, including basketball, football, and baseball. It’s also spent the past couple of decades overhauling its reputation with the fresh designs and colorways that have helped it gain a foothold among sneakerheads, although many people still associate New Balance with a demographic that isn’t known for keeping its finger on what’s cool: dads who couldn’t care less about keeping up with fashion.
At some point, New Balance shoes (specifically the 608 silhouette in white or grey) became associated with fathers who had a tendency to pair them with some white tube socks and jean shorts before heading out to mow the lawn, which stemmed from the combination of comfort and affordability that historically came at the expense of being what tastemakers would consider “fashionable.”
On Sunday, the social media manager for the men’s basketball team at Longwood University nodded to that reputation with the Father’s Day tribute that appeared on some of its channels.
LongwoodMBB/X
However, there was one tiny problem: the Lancers are one of the many college basketball programs that have an apparel deal with Nike, and the decision to feature a competitor did not go unnoticed based on the post that ended up replacing the initial one.
𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 from Longwood Men’s Basketball!#ConsistencyWins pic.twitter.com/eHE9tVVm8k
— Longwood Basketball (@LongwoodMBB) June 15, 2025
It’s safe to assume they won’t be making a similar mistake again.
[Reddit]