Sneakerhead Culture

The clock tower in Lawrence, Massachusetts chimes like Big Ben and appears just as big. In fact, it's one of the world's largest clock towers, somewhere behind the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower in Wisconsin and the London-based attraction along the Thames.

Built on the banks of the Merrimack, this textile warehouse has been home to the New Balance sneaker company for many years. Built in 1906 the Ayer Mill building was once nicknamed "the eighth wonder of the world" because of its size.

I had to work inside this vintage brick treasure yesterday for New Balance. Inside are nearly 300 employees pumping out a new pair of sneakers every 22 seconds. It's a loud environment with hundreds of machines cutting, sewing, stitching, bonding and boxing running shoes.

But three floors below is a quieter spot where local athletes volunteer to test the products. The 3,000-square-foot lab is busy with technicians and engineers putting shoes through a battery of tests before they hit the sales floor.

The space includes infrared cameras, computer sensors and a 120-foot long running track with a glass plate built into the floor to measure the pressure of a shoe as it hits the surface. One of the labs includes a machine that literally smashes, twists and contorts a sneaker to determine the materials' weaknesses and strengths.

Sneaker junkies beware - the New Balance retail store on the first floor has the best prices in New England.