Why has New Balance backed Donald Trump as new US President and what other business leaders support him?
SPORTING giant New Balance are the first major sportswear company to publicly back US president-elect Donald Trump.
In a statement the Boston-based company said: "The Obama admin turned a deaf ear to us & frankly w/ Pres-Elect Trump we feel things are going to move in the right direction."
But the news hasn't gone down well with many trainer fans with some ditching their sneakers as soon as they heard.
And it comes as thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of several US cities to protest against the election of Trump.
Many shouted the slogan "Not my president". Others burned orange-haired effigies of the businessman.
What's the history of New Balance?
In 1906, Brit William J. Riley founded the New Balance Arch Support Company, manufacturing accessories designed to improve shoe fit in the Boston area.
His first product, a flexible arch support, was designed to provide greater balance and comfort in the shoe.
It is believed that Riley came up with the name New Balance by observing chickens in his yard and demonstrated the way his arch supports worked by keeping a chicken foot on his office desk.
In 1927, Riley hired Arthur Hall to be a salesman. Hall soon became a business partner and found his niche by marketing to people whose jobs required them to spend a lot of time standing.
In 1956, Hall sold the business to his daughter Eleanor and her husband Paul Kidd.
They continued to sell mainly arch supports until 1960, when they designed and manufactured the 'Trackster', the world's first running shoe made with a ripple sole.
It was an instant hit and was adopted by university runners across the US.
Over the next decade the company continued to grow and really cashed in when the jogging boom exploded in the 1970s.
Now it is one of the world's biggest sporting companies making over four million pairs of sneakers in the US every year.
Why is the company so keen on Trump?
The trainer maker has long opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP - a pact which aims to deepen economic ties between nations, slashing tariffs and fostering trade to boost growth - something which Trump has also long opposed.
New Balance is trying to make a running shoe with 100 percent American parts, but feels the trade deal will doom shoes made in the US (and the jobs of the American workers making them) as it becomes cheaper to import them from elsewhere.
What do the other sports companies say?
The brand’s anti-TTP stance is also at odds with its competitors.
Nike says the proposed trade agreement, which was backed by President Barack Obama, would ease the creation of 10,000 manufacturing and engineering jobs in the US.
Though no-one at the sports giant has explained how this would work.
Has there been a backlash?
Absolutely.
Within hours of news of the company's stance being made public sneakerheads posted photos and videos online of them ditching their trainers.
After publishing a photo of him ditching his sneakers, @Jonnysan wrote: "For publicly endorsing a racist, sexist, hate mongering President."
@MrJonCryer added: "Time to boycott NewBalance."
Uncle Unauthroized declared: "I'm glad I just got 2 pair of NB's in my collection that I barely even wear. I'll probably give them away to somebody."
However some defended the company's stance.
Writing on the Sole Collector's Forum, TokyoRevelation said: "So a corporation that tries to produce footwear at home as much as possible rather than in Asia is voicing support for Trump's stance against sending more jobs out of the USA.
"You idiots who are 'trashing' their New Balance shoes 'in protest'? need to get your priorities straight and fast."
Who are Trump's other corporate backers?
Most companies are taking a cautious approach to Trump's presidency.
Although companies are banned from supporting individual Presidential candidates under election law, business leaders can show their support.
Those to have publicly backed the Republican include PayPal co-founder and Facebook director Peter Thiel and Roger Ailes former Chairman and CEO of Fox News.
Dozens of others have also showed their support for Trump - including Peter Coors, chairman of MillerCoors beer, Bernie Ecclestone Chief Exec of the F1 Group and Brian France CEO and Chairman of NASCAR.
Weight-loss mogul Jenny Craig held a fundraiser for the tycoon during his campaign and Home Depot former CEO Bernard Marcus claimed the home improvement business he started could never have been successful if it had begun under President Barack Obama.
Dana White, president of Ultimate Fighting Championship, has endorsed Trump and Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts, served as an unofficial adviser to his successful presidential campaign.
What about Trump's advisers?
Some of Trump's team of advisers are formally business leaders - including former CEO of Nucor Steel Dan DiMicco to handle staffing for the office of the US Trade Representative.
Director of energy and global warming policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) Myron Ebell is in charge of staffing the Environmental Protection Agency.
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