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As with any of its Made in USA pairs, the sneakers come fitted with premium materials such as pigskin suede and a high-quality textile making up the plaid section of each pair. For the 997, New Balance Japan serves up a timeless mix of black, burgundy and petrol blue suede alongside a tartan plaid on the toe box, tongue, and heel sections, each sporting a different colorway and mix of patterns or checks.
All of this boldness is only accentuated by the blush pink suede strip that runs over the vamp, the bright yellow “N” emblem on either side of the shoe’s mid-panel area, and the red suede stripe on the heel. Contrasting this is the 997’s signature pebble-effect rubber components that form part of the eyestay placket and the heel clip, both of which are finished in gray. Rounding out the design is its contrasting white ENCAP-equipped midsole and the New Balance branding that’s embroidered into the tongue and heel, with the former noting its Made in USA cred
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When New Balance brought back its 550 an under-the-radar basketball sneaker that debuted in 1989 via a collaboration with Aimé Leon Dore in 2020, the once-obscure hoop silhouette quickly became one of the year’s most unexpected hits, a cult classic that was warmly received by retro sneaker enthusiasts and Instagram archive pages alike. Now New Balance is looking to expand the 550’s footprint with several in-line releases over the course of 2021, one of which is this black and red nubuck pair.
Up until this point, every 550 retro to release has featured a full leather build, but as mentioned above this pair puts forth a durable nubuck construction with just a touch of leather towards its collar. Uppers are mostly dressed in black, with touches of red arriving via the midfoot N logo, the 550 graphic on the forefoot overlay, this overlay’s piping and the heel’s clip/NB logo. A large old-school New Balance Hoops logo arrives on the tongue tag, dashes of gra
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New Balance‘s Japanese branch has recently been cooking up a variety of exclusives for its domestic fanbase, ranging from pricey collectible kicks to remixed runners, but its latest effort strays from the on-foot angle in favor of some clean, versatile apparel. Crafted in America by ethical label Save Khaki United, the capsule is a collection of military-inspired layering pieces ideal for next summer.
S.K.U. is well-known for its American-made staples, mostly executed in trim cuts and neutral tones. In Japan, its distribution is overseen by Baycrews, the company that heads up the likes of Journal Standard, Edifice and WISM, thus making the New Balance Japan connection a little more logical.