It has been a big year for Bills quarterback Josh Allen. From winning the NFL MVP award in February to marrying actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld in June, it’s been largely sunshine and roses for Allen as he prepares for another season where the Bills will look to break through the glass ceiling and win a Super Bowl.
Now add a sneaker endorsement to that list. After being the subject of some speculation during the offseason, Allen is now officially a New Balance athlete.
The Intelligent Choice.@JoshAllenQB and @NewBalance. pic.twitter.com/hyCC4Yw57Y
— New Balance (@newbalance) September 5, 2025
Allen expanded upon his thinking in joining the brand — which is also home to notable stars such as No. 1 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg, National League MVP Shohei Ohtani and tennis superstar Coco Gauff — noting that the brand is built on family, community and authenticity. To that end, he announced that he and New Balance are making a commitment to his hometown of Firebaugh, California to help fund its community sports program “in the hopes of providing access to sports, regardless of ability to pay, to help young athletes access sports and chase their dreams.”
Bills QB Josh Allen is signing with New Balance. Together, as outlined in a personal letter, Allen and New Balance are making a commitment to his hometown of Firebaugh, Calif., to ensure families have access to all community sports programs regardless of their ability to pay.… pic.twitter.com/Bxy0wr6UCi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2025
New Balance got back into the football game in 2024, sponsoring its hometown Boston College Eagles and signing NFL stars like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Chase Young. It should be noted, however, that you may not yet see the New Balance logo on Allen’s, or anyone else’s, feet this season. Under NFL uniform rules, players may only cleats from brands specifically authorized by the league, which as of last public knowledge only includes Nike, Adidas and Under Armour. In the past, players have gotten around this rule somewhat by covering up their sponsor’s logo and branding.
Josh Allen officially with New Balance. Will he get a signature shoe? 👀 👟
Notable; he will have to cover their logo on field, unless New Balance drops a 💰 to get licensing right with NFL. #billsmafia pic.twitter.com/0gJU7BZpDJ
— Thigh Doctor (@ThighDoctor) July 3, 2025
In the end, as much as New Balance would love to see Allen slinging and sprinting in NBs on the field, they probably are fine with just utilizing Allen in their advertising and marketing campaigns. We already saw them do this to some extent last year with Flagg, who signed with the brand while he was playing at Nike-affiliated Duke University. There has been no mention of a signature sneaker, but given that Ohtani, Gauff and Clippers star Kawhi Leonard all have their own shoe it’s not a stretch to think we could be seeing a Josh Allen shoe — either a lifestyle model, cleat or even both — sometime in the near future.
New Balance has been a company on the rise in recent years, chipping away at Nike’s market and cultural dominance. Signing the defending NFL MVP, who currently has the third-best odds (+600) on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the award again this year, is just the latest sign that New Balance isn’t resting on its laurels. It’s ready to compete and grow in the sneaker marketplace.
In the end, as their tagline states, signing Allen was the “intelligent choice.”
