There is no denying that New Balance has the attention of the sneaker world right now, as they already have the past two years. Recently, we've seen a surge of New Balance collectors in the community, including Instagram users with a feed dedicated solely to nothing but heaps of New Balance trainers.
In the sixth episode of our "Community Curated" series here at The Sole Supplier, we sat down with dedicated NB collector Marco Wong to see some of his favourite pairs and what he has to say about the growing hype of New Balance.
Who are you and how did you get into New Balance? Hey there, I'm Marco, @mmmmvrco on the gram! I have been into trainers for a while now, particularly around 2015. I remember my first New Balance shoes were in 2010. It was just a pair of 574s in a burgundy colourway that I thought were so comfy and stylish at the time.
Comfort and clean colourways will always be what does it for me, so naturally, I got back into New Balance. For me, NB 550 are catching my attention, I defo need more of them in my collection.
New Balance had a strong lineup in 2021, do you think it'll be the same this year? 2022 will be an even bigger year for New Balance! I think that one of the reasons are because long-term shoe collectors are tired of Nike releasing too many Jordan 1s , 4s , and Dunks every week with the same colour themes, making them unexciting.
New Balance is on the right track to being the best footwear brand again this year as their collabs tend to have a lot of backstories that are always interesting. In addition, the brand never fails to deliver maximum comfort, style, and quality. They are far superior to many lifestyle trainers you see today, so the heavy price tag on some of their famous models, like the 990 or 992 , is somewhat understandable.
They also did a good job having Teddy Santis' Aimé Leon Dore bring back the archived New Balance 550 that is currently my most worn shoe today. The retro look of the 550s fit into workwear/vintage fashion that is trending right now, which may be a reason for its growing hype.
Tell us about your top 3 New Balance purchases last year? Bodega x New Balance 990V3 "Here To Stay" I picked these up at the London flagship store whilst on my mini-honeymoon. This pair is definitely my favourite from my rotation these days. The brown upper with hints of other colours makes them a wearable pair of shoes for me.
Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 550 "Natural Green" This pair is the second time Aimé Leon Dore has worked on the NB 550 silhouette. I think the mix of green and yellow tones make them stand out more than the initial green-and-white design from 2020 when Teddy Santis resurrected the model.
JJJJound x New Balance 990V4 "Navy" Justin Saunders' JJJJound x 990V4 collab arrives with elastic shoelaces and lace locks, which are unique. Also, the dark blue navy setup is quite different to your typical all-black trainers. As expected from the Boston footwear giant, the craftsmanship on this is very solid, just like with all the designs from New Balance's 99X range that remains timeless.
Which New Balance shoes would you like to add to your collection this year?
Which silhouette would you recommend to someone looking to buy their first pair? If you're looking for something affordable that still serves style and comfort, I recommend choosing the 2002R as they're coming out with lots of great colourways recently. If you're keen on breaking the bank a little more, I would recommend any of the grey colourways from the 990V3 , V4, or V5.
