New Balance 1300JP Feat. Broadway & Sons

SNS : The 1300JP is known for its timeless build and attention to detail. How does it compare to the kind of vintage pieces you seek out?

B&S : The 1300JP, which is proudly made in the USA, for me usually refers to high-quality garments, fabrics, and craftsmanship, just like a lot of products that I seek out when sourcing goods around the globe. “Made in USA” doesn't just look good, but often signals a standard of durability and trust to the item I’m buying, usually exceeding my customer's expectations too.

SNS : You handle garments with stories, structure, and age. Who or what around you best reflects true craftsmanship?

B&S : Definitely my father. Since the early beginning of him getting into the business, he bought products he trusted and could stand for. He personally washes every single item that comes through the doors of our shops, handpicks every piece for my stores, and organizes everything in the warehouse by model, condition, and sometimes even era. So that our customers experience a high-quality, carefully curated selection when visiting our stores or browsing our website.

When buying in bulk, as we often do, the hardest part isn’t finding the supplier but rather going through thousands of items by hand until we find what we’re looking for. Imagine going into an old warehouse after getting a call like “I have around 10,000 pairs of Levi's jeans lying around, come check them out”. Then, spending around 3 entire days, my father and I, analysing every single pair to check condition, sizing, era, authenticity, and potential value. which has all been taught to me by my father and big brother Nathaniel.

SNS : How does repetition, patience, and research shape what you do, from finding pieces to restoring or styling them?

B&S : I would definitely value patience very highly. Why? Because you never know what's going to be in style or “trending.” Dad used to buy loads of categories that my brother and I were skeptical of. We didn’t understand why he was buying those pieces just to store them. We simply didn’t believe in the products.

What happened 4–5 years later? People started asking for those exact categories. Thankfully, Dad had stored them all the way in the back of the warehouse, just waiting for their time to come. Instead of trying to travel and source what was currently “in” or sought after, we could just drive out to the warehouse and start selecting the pieces our customers were asking for. Dad would begin washing, steaming, and sorting the goods, and available in-store just a few days later.

What did Dad teach us? Patience.

SNS : Why do certain items — like the 1300JP or a military jacket —stand the test of time? What makes something worth preserving?

B&S : Just the fact that I can still wear my father’s old New Balance sneakers says it all.
Shoes you’ve run in, worked in, driven in, and used daily aren’t really expected to last long in today’s world of mass production.

That’s why I carefully choose my sneakers, just like I carefully choose what I buy for the shops and what I wear myself. If my 1960s Jungle Jacket is still intact after all the wear and tear, trust me, it can hold up for a few more decades. My 1980s Made in USA 501s still haven’t fallen apart and just keep getting better and better the more I wear and wash them.

Yeah, that's the kind of quality I believe is worth preserving.