The holiday shopping season is officially here and it’s very likely that your loved one’s list of desired gifts has New Balance on it this year. After a stellar showing of collaborations in 2020, New Balance has delivered even more exciting sneakers in 2021. New Balance isn’t just the king of the dad shoe, the brand has earned the distinction of a sneaker company with life, longevity, and relevance. For those looking to get in on the budding former-dad shoe dynasty that is New Balance, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite collaborations that are sure to be a hit this holiday season.
New Balance 990v3 Joe Freshgoods Outside Clothes
New Balance went all-in with one of their most popular sneakers, the 990, in 2021. The brand released multiple general release versions of the sneakers’ original colourways for the first time in years as well as several high-profile collaborations, including this one with Joe Freshgoods. The New Balance 990V3 Joe Freshgoods Outside Clothes was a highly anticipated sneaker that had been rumoured for most of 2021. This sneaker was designed to invoke nostalgic feelings of playing outside and running around your neighbourhood with childhood friends and the touches of green and blue set against the desert brown colour do just that. As potentially the most exciting release of the year for New Balance, these sneakers are a surefire holiday win this season.
New Balance 550 Aimé Leon Dore Natural Green
Aimé Leon Dore is the must-have brand of 2021. Aside from the fact that their apparel and lookbooks have been replicated by nearly every brand under the sun, Aimé Leon Dore is also setting sneaker trends left and right. Perhaps the most exciting gift that ALD has given us is the resurrection of the New Balance 550, an archive basketball shoe that the apparel brand first collaborated on in 2020. The sneakers were an immediate hit, inspiring New Balance to start reproducing them outside of the Aimé Leon Dore collaboration. This particular pair was released earlier this year, and features vintage-looking white, green, and grey details, delivering a clean white shoe that looks fresh from the 90s.
New Balance 990v4 JJJJound Navy
New Balance-collaborator, JJJJound is known for staying quiet and keeping things simple. Whenever the creative powerhouse releases anything, it’s generally announced with little warning, nearly no publicity, and it always sells out. It makes sense, then, that his most recent New Balance collaboration is both innovative and exciting, but in an extremely minimalist, no-frills way. Quite simply, New Balance and JJJJound delivered an elevated 990V4 in a solid navy colour all the way through. The sneaker’s biggest collaborative indication is a subtle lacing option that features an elastic drawstring with a JJJJound branded toggle. If that’s not your style, traditional laces are included, but either way, this shoe is a must-have for any minimalist New Balance fan.
New Balance 2002R Salehe Bembury Water Be The Guide
For those unfamiliar with Salehe Bembury, he’s a big deal in the sneaker world. The designer boasts quite the résumé, beginning with brands like GREATS and Yeezy. Late last year, the 35-year-old sneaker designer ended his tenure as Vice President of Sneakers and Men’s Footwear at Versace and was named ‘Footwear Designer of the Year’ by Footwear News. Needless to say, Bembury is a high-profile collaborator for New Balance and has consistently delivered fresh takes on the brand’s most coveted styles. The 2002R Water Be The Guide is the partnership’s follow-up to the 2020’s 2002R Peace Be The Journey, which features a similar design but with a fire-inspired colour palette. The 2002R Salehe Bembury Water Be The Guide was one of the most anticipated New Balance collaborations of 2021 and is bound to be a major hit this holiday season.
New Balance 327 Todd Snyder Farmer’s Market Wheat
The New Balance 327 is one of the brand’s popular new sneakers, even if it’s not a favourite of sneakerheads. Originally debuted in 2020, the design is inspired by New Balance running silhouettes from the 1970s giving the sneaker its vintage look. American menswear designer, Todd Snyder, who has collaborated on numerous New Balance bangers in the past, has taken that vintage look to the next level with the Farmer’s Market Wheat colourway of the 327. Intended to invoke the nostalgic, wholesome feelings of walking the farmer’s market, this New Balance 327 is immediately reminiscent of a packaged loaf of freshly baked bread. The sneaker also features a contrasting split design running down the centre of the sneaker, delivering green details on the outside and brown details on the inside. The neutral colours that dominate this sneaker make it easy to wear and incorporate into any wardrobe.
New Balance RC Elite V2 Stone Island TDS
Originally teased through cryptic Instagram posts over the summer, New Balance’s recent collaboration with Stone Island puts innovation at the forefront. The two brands have signed onto a long-term partnership, of which the New Balance RC Elite V2 Stone Island TDS is the first chapter. The sneaker was designed by New Balance’s celebrated Tokyo Design Studio, the brand’s innovative wing based in the Japanese capital. For this collaboration, New Balance and Stone Island have only begun to flex their innovative muscles, delivering 3D Screen Printed uppers, FuelCell foam, and a full carbon fibre plate. If you’re looking to gift your loved one a new sneaker that’s both sleek and cutting-edge, this is the one.
New Balance 574 Salehe Bembury Yurt Shark Skin
When it comes to breaking boundaries and trying new things, Salehe Bembury is right up there with Aimé Leon Dore as a New Balance collaborator. The sneaker designer wasn’t quite finished after releasing the collaborative Water Be The Guide 2002R in June and returned with two new sneakers and a full apparel collection in October of 2021. The New Balance 574 Salehe Bembury Yurt was delivered in two different colours and features a functioning whistle coming out of the heel of the shoe. Aside from the whistle, this collaboration deviated significantly from the traditional 574 design, adding an extra chunky Abzorb sole with Rollbar technology. Compared to previous Salehe Bembury x New Balance collaborations, this pair is significantly more affordable making it an easy win this holiday season.
