'Tassie Devil' SF X New Balance 998

As part of our marathon 10 year anniversary celebrations, we have jumped back into the cage with New Balance to produce the tough Tassie Devil, a sabre-toothed version of the under-appreciated 998 model. As Yoda would say, ‘Theme, there is no theme!’ Indeed, our self-imposed brief was simply to knock-up a beastly colourway and smash it out of Hobart. If you don’t like purple, you’ll pass. We’ve got eggplant, violet, mauve, lilac, lavender and another un-nameable shade that looks like three-day-old chewing gum but slots perfectly into the mix, delivering total synchronicity. For a little extra vim and vigor, we added some triangular fangs to the forefoot, and they ride proudly within a lovely bone midsole with just a hint of peppery speckle. The Wolverine suede is top-notch, the shape of the toe is oh-so right and there’s a little extra stuffing in the tongue for mad comfort. We love it!

Proudly named after our native Australian marsupial the Tasmanian Devil (and with a respectful nod to the Solebox series of NB Devils), it’s a sad fact that the chunky little carnivorous critters are suffering from an epidemic of facial tumour disease that threatens their existence. Some estimates suggest up to 50% of the wild population has perished. To that end, we will be making a healthy donation to the campaign to save these unique animals. For more info go to tassiedevil.com.au