First working with the 990v3 in 2018, and then 3 times in 2022, this “Tan Suede” colourway marks the fifth time that JJJJound has produced a Made in USA 990v3. However, this will only be the second time that the black midsole has returned, giving the New Balance silhouette a different energy from its typical dad sneaker image.

The last time JJJJound worked with a black midsole on the “Brown Black” colourway in 2022, the shoes ended up on the feet of Ukrainian President Zelensky. However, this 2026 “Tan Suede” edition is a lot less militant, but who knows whose feet these will end up on.

Giving us a first look at the upcoming NB 990v3 “Tan Suede” on Instagram, the brand captioned the post, “JJJJ NB 990V3 FW26*”, revealing that the pair will end up dropping before the end of the year.

The first set of images clearly presents the quality of the nubuck suede between the webbed panelling, which is hardly surprising given JJJJound’s reputation for quality. The darker accents on the “N” and standard tongue spell-out place all the focus on that teddy-brown upper.

It’s no surprise that version 3 is returning to shelves through this collaboration and the Teddy Santis capsules, given that the New Balance 990v7 seems to borrow from this silhouette’s design language.

Perhaps the 990v3 will sit nicely next to the upcoming 990v7 on shelves, allowing sneakerheads to embrace that era of premium New Balance design in the year to come. That’s just my sneakerhead speculation though!