Careismatic Brands, Inc. Acquires BALA Footwear

The performance shoe company joins Careismatic’s portfolio of innovative medical apparel brands.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Careismatic Brands, Inc., one of the world’s largest medical apparel companies, announced today that it has acquired BALA footwear, a nursing footwear company. BALA provides dynamic, high-performance shoes that enable healthcare workers to focus on patient care without any discomfort or distraction. 

BALA Footwear is engineered with unique features that help healthcare professionals seamlessly navigate the day-to-day challenges of their work—from standing and squatting for long hours to sprinting across halls. BALA will join Careismatic’s portfolio of innovative medial apparel brands, which includes Cherokee Uniforms, Dickies Medical, Medelita and more.

“This acquisition marks a milestone in our journey to provide exceptional products that meet the needs of healthcare providers around the world,” said Girisha Chandraraj, CEO of Careismatic Brands. “The entire Careismatic team is excited to introduce BALA footwear to our customers and deliver on our shared vision of improving the lives of people who care for others.”

Founded in 2020 in Portland, Oregon, by former Nike executives Brian Lockard and John Eberle and former Under Armor executive Caprice Neely, BALA seeks to bring to the healthcare space the innovative designs and comfort features incorporated into athletic footwear. Its first publicly released shoe, the BALA Twelves, features a lightweight feel, arch support and high traction. The shoe’s design, which is inspired by nurses’ 12-hour shifts, comes in six colorways, “Shade Gray,” “Nocturnal Black,” “Triple Black,” “Daybreak Blue,” “Flow White” and “Defy Pink.”

“Our mission at BALA Footwear is to make healthcare professionals feel like the most respected professionals in the world. Since launching our startup in 2020 we’ve served thousands of healthcare professionals by seeking partnerships with other organizations that share that mission,” said Lockard. “We are thrilled to join the Careismatic portfolio because of their almost 30-year history of service to the healthcare community and broad resources that will enable the BALA brand to expand how we deliver on our core mission.”

ABOUT CAREISMATIC BRANDS: Careismatic Brands, Inc. is a trusted global leader in medical apparel, footwear and accessories, with a distribution platform that spans 70 countries. Its extensive portfolio of trusted brands includes Cherokee Uniforms, Dickies Medical, Healing Hands, Heartsoul Scrubs, Infinity, Med Couture, Medelita, Scrubstar, Tooniforms, Anywear, Bala, Classroom Uniforms, Allheart and Silvert’s Adaptive Apparel. Careismatic is proud to support a number of nonprofit organizations, including The DAISY Foundation, U-VOL Foundation, and Mercy Ships. 

For more information on Careismatic Brands, visit www.careismatic.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

SOURCE Careismatic Brands