The Super-Limited Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 650 “STUNTMAN” Reimagines Sneaker History

Updated 06/9/23: After sharing a sneak peek of the pair in his newest collection lookbook this year, Joe Freshgoods has confirmed that he’ll be dropping a collaborative New Balance 650. Daring to reimagine what can only be described as a pivotal part of sneaker history, the Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 650 “Stuntman” calls back to early moments in Micheal Jordan’s career, where he was pictured wearing New Balance. The resulting collaboration plays into the idea of what could have been had Jordan signed with the Boston-based brand, adding plenty of references both to the shoes themselves and the special-edition packaging.

Speaking on the idea in the Instagram announcement post, Joe Freshgoods said: “A few years ago, while going through old magazines for reference material, I stumbled upon a photograph of someone ‘Special’ wearing a pair of NB’s in a photoshoot. And I simply thought to myself , ‘What if the story was different’? Like. On some comic book shit. Switch the story up a little ya know.”

The “STUNTMAN” JFG x New Balance 650s are set to drop on the 9th of September and will be limited to 500 hand-numbered pairs.

Original Article: After being the first to introduce the world to the New Balance 9060 last year, Joe Freshgoods has teamed up with the Boston-based brand to elevate one of its most iconic silhouettes. In a recent lookbook for his campaign with Mitchell & Ness, models sported a familiar high-top silhouette on foot, and a close peek reveals that the pair will serve as a follow-up from his earlier New Balance 550 collaboration that formed part of his “Conversations Amongst Us” series.

Dressed in vintage-style creamy hues, the Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 650 is a masterclass in tasteful branding. Playing on the retro b-ball sneaker’s understated silhouette, tonal shading dresses the panels, with different textures adding subtle areas of depth. Branding hits arrive beautifully pared-back: JFG branding replaces the usual 650 hit at the forefoot, while a co-branded logo adorns the tongue tab. New Balance’s famed ‘N’ logo sits on the sidewalls, and the brand’s wordmark also touches down on the suede collar overlays.

While more info is yet to be confirmed, it’s worth remembering that most JFG x New Balance collabs tend to drop in wider collections that often include matching apparel. So, as we wait for more details surrounding the release of the upcoming Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 650R, be sure to hit the links below to set your release reminders nice and early, and why not check out New Balance's latest Protection Pack.