new balance aime leon dore

Apparel - February 8, 2022

Collaboration Spotlight: New Balance x Aimé Leon Dore

With both brands' popularity continuing to skyrocket, we put New Balance Aimé Leon Dore under the spotlight.

With both brands' popularity continuing to skyrocket, we put New Balance Aimé Leon Dore under the spotlight.

The skyrocketing popularity of New Balance throughout the last decade has snowballed into something that no one could have possibly predicted.

At the heart of that monumental reemergence has been a series of carefully-considered collaborations that have continuously allowed the brand to push the boundaries of design, tapping into a brand-new audience with each link-up. 

The likes of Bodega, KITH, and Patta are just a few of the high-profile partnerships to have delivered serious heat over these last few years—though arguably, it’s New Balance’s work with Aimé Leon Dore that has helped elevate them to a level like never before. 

Where It All Started

Photo via Hypebeast

Born out of Queens, New York in 2014, Aimé Leon Dore is still very much considered a newcomer to the fashion world, especially when compared with the Boston Veterans at NB who have been doing their own thing since 1906.

Even in its still relevant infancy, though, ALD has made significant waves themselves with their ‘simple yet powerful design’, earning the accolade of GQ’s ‘Best Menswear Store of 2021’ and building something of a cult following with relatively little fanfare—see the one-sentence summary on the brand’s ‘about’ page, that simply links out to Nas’ 1994 record Illmatic, rather than supply any deeper mission statement or background. 

That approach makes a lot of sense given the largely under-the-radar reputation of the brand’s creator, Teddy Santis, who has primarily let the label’s impressive design work do his talking for him. 

His name would soon become unavoidable though, especially after New Balance drafted him in for the first time in 2019 when he offered his own increasingly sought-after take on their staple 997 silhouette. Immediately, it became apparent that this partnership ticked all the right boxes for Santis, an individual known to be particularly picky when it comes to who he’ll lend his label and namesake to.

Some of the highlights

Since joining forces, form has remained consistently high and a seemingly endless string of spectacular drops that have rarely threatened to miss the mark have followed. Here are a few of our favourites… 

Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance SS21

Reigniting Santis’ affinity with basketball-inspired aesthetics, SS21 honed in on the tagline ‘International Friendship Through Basketball’—paying homage to the game’s power as a social vehicle in the States.

NYC-based illustrator Louie Chin was on hand to create graphics for the drop, while familiar NBA faces like Jason Williams, Charles Oakley and Rafer Alston were joined by DJ Bobbito Garcia for the slick promo video.

New Balance 550 Aimé Leon Dore Natural Green

We imagine getting his hands on NB’s old-school basketball silhouette was a particular highlight for Santis, given how big a role the lookbooks of that sporting era have played in shaping the Aimé Leon Dore we know and love today. Keeping things unsurprisingly simple, the 550 boasts a vintage, college ball colourway that’s another excellent example that sometimes, simplicity is best after all.

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IFTB Watercolour Graphic Tee

Another part of that SS21 playground basketball-inspired capsule saw recognition of the game’s uniting powers come via this charming graphic tee, printed on a gorgeous cream, officially dubbed ‘Pristine’, colour block.

Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance FW21

aime-leon-dore-new-balance-993-fw21

A real throwback to the glory of old-school outerwear, the recent FW21 apparel collection was dominated by heavy-duty pieces painted in an array of stunning, earthy hues. Featuring another New Balance capsule that was headlined by two new colourways of the New Balance 993, the FW21 collection spanned waterproof shell jackets, hefty fleeces and accessories such as balaclavas, beanies and bandanas.

The Queens label drafted in a lineup of NYC rappers to help promote the capsule—the likes of YL, Starker and MID all appearing alongside renowned graffiti artist Post AOW in the campaign video.  

New Balance 993 Aime Leon Dore Brown

Nodding to their Queens, New York roots, ALD chose a ‘beef and broccoli’ work boot inspiration – those being a quintessential part of the city’s culture. Brown mesh can be seen laid down as the base layer with premium suede overlays and dark green touches on the tongue and upper panels. Although these have black midsoles, which traditionally aren’t everyone’s favourite, they complement the silhouette perfectly.

 

Aime Leon Dore x New Balance Crewneck Sweatshirt Green

A faultless testament to ALD’s less-is-more approach being wholly embraced by New Balance comes via a back-to-basics crewneck with an elegant, dual-branded chest logo offering a rare splash of contrasting colour.

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New Balance Slides Aimé Leon Dore Green

Comfort is always a crucial component in anything both of these brands produce, so it’s only natural they’d include a set of slides for those days where laces are just a little too daunting.  

What Comes Next?

Blending ALD’s sophisticated take on traditional streetwear with New Balance’s innovation and legacy, it really was a match made in heaven for both sides. That sentiment was written in the history books, when last year, a two-page spread in The New York Times announced that Santis would be appointed the creative director for New Balance’s Made in USA sub-division—a pretty massive deal.

With that comes access to what NB themselves describe as their more ‘premium collection’. Given the impact Santis has already had from the outside, involving him from the ground-up points towards another wildly exciting chapter in the brand’s illustrious history that’ll no doubt deliver an array of lucrative pieces on top of what’s already come.