New Balance's 2019 Highlight Reel
What a year it was for ! Though it may seem that the fight for the top rank is usually reserved for the and , New Balance are out there constantly and consistently making big, big moves.
As if the incredible rollout of the wasn't enough, NB made big moves in basketball with , left no survivors in the world of collaborations, and put their best foot forward to tackle the imminent . Could 2020 be New Balance's year on top?
v5 Domination
Starting off with the 990v5, the extremely well-executed introduction of the latest 990 had shelves, feeds and sneaker-appetites alike inundated with quality release after quality release, which quickly cemented the silhouette as a permanent fixture in sneaker history.
Largely known as one of the sneaker world’s most promising offerings when it comes to quality and performance, the 990 range is consistently held in high regard amongst collectors. As a representation of New Balance’s highest range of lifestyle footwear, there’s no denying that doubts were had when an addition to the already established line was announced. But, of course, New Balance came through with the goods.
After initially gracing us with the expected and welcomed NB grey palette, the collaborations began rolling out. Fire projects from , , and more caused happiness and heartbreak all across the world, as each brand took their turn to sit behind the steering wheel of one of the year’s strongest forces.
Kawaii Kawhi
After the stellar performance and championship ring earned by the ‘Fun Guy’, it’s only fitting that his with New Balance be included in their highlight reel. Making him one of the top 15 shoe endorsement deal earners in the league, it’s speculated that the contract makes him over $5 million per year, helping to put the into the hearts and minds of ballers all over the globe.
Did You Cop Yours?
Even though the New Balance lifestyle range had a year that was largely dominated by the arrival of a brand-new baby, the spotlight wasn’t completely stolen. While the 990v5 was deservedly hogging most of the attention, the was out there getting its fair share of the limelight.
As high-quality materials and construction remain a constant across the entire 990 range, it’s hard to fault the line at all. The pairing of the aggressive 990v3 midsole tooling with a layered upper causes love at first sight for most onlookers, so NB’s grey palette should be all you need, right? Wrong. Somewhere in the world right now, the designers from , and are probably having a great time enjoying their well-deserved holidays while sneakerheads are still nursing incurable Ls from not copping a single pair of these beautiful creations.
All Terrain, All the Time
Focusing on construction, technology, fit, fabrication and style, New Balance extended their footwear line into hard-wearing outdoors wear with their .
Drawing design inspiration from heavy-duty trail-running shoes, the team over at NB have placed themselves at the forefront of the incoming sneaker trend. Beginning with the updated , and the new , the beefed-up sneakers debuted the next gen Fresh Foam X and Megagrip, an insight into what we can expect in the upcoming seasons.