Tokyo Design Studio Borrow Legendary ‘JP’ Colourway for the New Balance FuelCell RC Elite v2

New Balance’s experimental Tokyo Design Studio department has been responsible for some of the brand’s most innovative designs in recent years. While usually more closely associated with casual and lifestyle models, TDS have applied their forward thinking to the FuelCell RC Elite v2 performance runner and simultaneously borrowed the famous ‘JP’ colourway from the OG 1300.

The jagged upper and exposed mesh underlays may evoke comparisons to the Stone Island collaboration on the previous iteration of this model. Well, that observation is well founded as TDS were also part of that project. However, this time it’s an in-house edition, hence the colourway drawing on the grey and blue mix of the 1300. Pigskin suede and net mesh is a bit too rudimentary for this advanced model, so it instead uses lightweight microfibre and a variable knit mesh with targeted ventilation. This sits atop a thick FuelCell midsole with a carbon fibre forefoot plate embedded within for a near literal spring in the step. And those light steps aren’t a placebo either – one shoe weighs about 219g, so they’re pretty wispy. Of course, anyone that simply thinks it’s a cool colourway probably doesn’t give a rat’s.

The New Balance TDS FuelCell RC Elite v2 in ‘JP’ is available now from Up There Athletics.