Discover: How The New Balance 327 Achieved Instantaneous Success

Modern. Elevated. Elegant.

New Balance’s two-year-old silhouette ticks all the boxes when it comes to style, sophistication and versatility. The brainchild of Manchester-based sneaker designer Charlotte Lee, the New Balance 327 found overnight success after its debut in 2020, making it one of the most influential New Balance sneakers of the modern day. Having been with the Massachusetts-born brand since 2014, Lee has been pivotal to the design of premium silhouettes such as the 237 and XC-72, but the 327 has definitely taken over the airwaves in a way that other new silhouettes haven’t…yet.

Starting out as a footwear design intern, Lee has made her mark as one of the most noteworthy footwear designers on the scene right now. That being said, it hasn’t always been in Lee’s plan. Growing up, she admitted to Sneaker Freaker that she had no relationship with trainers, but believes that this lends itself to a lack of bias when designing. Working for a brand with such a wealth of history allows for enough inspiration, resulting in the likes of the 327 being rich with retro aesthetics, whilst providing a futuristic feel at the same time. The true definition of old meets new.

Focusing her efforts on designing trainers that use features from NB’s back catalogue, the now Senior Footwear Designer drew inspiration from 1970s New Balance silhouettes that started out life as running shoes; this being New Balance’s main sport. The New Balance 320, the first silhouette to use the large ‘N’ logo on the sneaker’s sidewalls in 1976, was described by Runner’s World Magazine the year after as being “the complete training shoe for the beginner jogger and olympic runner alike”. And this versatility has certainly been translated to the 327 silhouette. It probably helps that Tom Fleming won the 1975 New York Marathon in 320s. Not only this, but the 320 was the first NB sneaker to use numbers in its name! Revolutionary, for sure.

Although constructed with ‘70s designs in mind, the 327 doesn’t look like a seventies sneaker. Two layers of thick Softee cushioning, leather reinforced flocked nylon, and lateral stability were all features that contributed to the design of the 320, with the 327 taking all of this into consideration. Other elements were inspired by the Super Comp from 1977. Designed for track and road running, the Super Comp lent its grippy sole to the 327; a now instantly recognisable feature. The studded outsole extends further up the shoe than on other silhouettes, finishing up in a triangular shape, whilst exaggerated branding and an asymmetrical midsole design display a high-fashion, yet sporty look. The perfect hybrid between the past, present and future, the 327 is one streamlined sneaker that looks back to the archives without relying on ‘hype’ and ‘history’ to ensure popularity.

Starting the design process in 2018, Lee first carved the 327 model out of florist’s foam. After this, she moved onto other projects, before spotting that Charaf Tajer-owned Casablanca unveiled a collaborative collection using the silhouette at Paris Fashion Week 2020. Expressing her surprise, Charlotte Lee said in an interview with HighSnobiety that she was “anticipating an overwhelming amount of negativity”, with zero expectations as to how the silhouette would perform. However, the result was very different. Virality on social media soon came: the 327 appeared to be more than just a fad, but a long-standing part of New Balance’s extensive lifestyle-sneaker roster.

What was so brilliant about the drop with the French-Moroccan fashion house was the lack of fuss made by either party. The athleisure-inspired sneaker didn’t even look like a collab: it just worked perfectly. The pigskin suede overlays added a premium feel, along with the use of gold foil and colourful prints, whilst the lack of ENCAP or ABZORB cushioning in the midsole meant that this was one of the lightest, most wearable shoes to date. This being said, it’s worth noting that despite the lack of cushioning, the 327 doesn’t lack comfort. It’s no surprise that the up and coming 327 took over the feeds of sneakerheads and fashion lovers alike.

Since Casablanca, the 327 has been redecorated by a variety of people and brands. From the likes of STAUD and Levi’s taking the Casablanca approach and developing clean designs that stay true to their brands, to retailers size? and Foot Locker putting their own stamp on the lifestyle sneaker. Even footballer Raheem Sterling dropped a stealthy triple-black iteration with red branding. Its versatility and willingness to be styled many different ways only adds to the appeal.

Whilst there may be a stigma around the silhouette, let it be known that the New Balance 327 is one of the most wearable and fashionable sneakers on the market right now. Despite still being in its infancy, the silhouette has certainly broken style boundaries on the streets and the socials. With so many collaborations and colourways under its belt, it’ll be interesting to see what the silhouette achieves in the future, and whether it is further developed in ways we can’t currently imagine.

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