Originator: Steven Smith Talks Designing the New Balance 997

After landing his first design job at New Balance in 1986, Steven Smith went on to play a pivotal role in the evolution of the entire 99x series. Given the task of refining the 995, then designing the 996 from scratch, Smith’s valedictory contribution to the series was the 997. With ENCAP and C-CAP cushioning, XAR-1000 carbon rubber outsoles, and the Hytrel Thermoplastic lockdown strap, the 997 was a huge leap forward.

This feature was originally published in Sneaker Freaker's New Balance 997 book. For a look at the 997's history, read about its , or delve into the minutiae of the 997 back catalogue with . For a look back at the United Arrows 997.5, here's our interview with , or hit our interview with  to see how he reimagined the 997.