Spring Trends in the New Balance World
Doesn’t the fresh start feeling of spring make you want to get outside? On the west coast, the scent of cherry blossoms promises longer days and warmer weather ahead, but we know better than to leave the house without layers. Preparing for sudden changes in weather also happens to tie into fashion. Street wear looks are a fusion of layers combining sleek performance pieces with over-sized hoodies. New Balance Victoria is still riding the wave of Lifestyle footwear popularity, as well as continuing to release updates on their core running shoes.
Here is what’s trending.
CLASSIC NOSTALGIA
New Balance’s “lifestyle” shoes have a unique place in the market. In general, they are a casual walking shoe that balances fashion, retro vibes, and comfort. Most of the line will have one foot in the past and one in the future in that new designs are often launched from originals of the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s decades. With new technologies, materials, and colours, history returns to life. Currently, the hottest, musthave models are still the 550’s, but the 530’s and the 990’s are close behind. With the bump in price, the latter, U.S. made 990v6 shoe may now be out-of-reach for some budgets at $259, but it’s still the most supportive lifestyle shoe out there and comes in multiple widths when most shoes in this category do not. New Balance is also forward thinking by adding an inclusive selection of unisex sizing for several of their key models, which blurs the gender division.
ALL DAY COMFORT
The days of suffering in shoes that look fabulous but provide little in the way of comfort seem to be over. How rare is it to see anyone walking or working all day in high heels anymore? The era of comfort has taken over (even in Europe!) and your feet will thank you. Now it is not unusual for women to pair sneakers with dresses and for streetwear and athleisure fashion to infiltrate workplaces previously resistant to anything but button ups, heels, and Oxfords. Of course, comfort is New Balance’s thing – it is why the company still maintains extensive width ranges and sizing. Customers are still drawn to the visual appeal of shoe but now are more likely to ask, “But is it comfortable?”
INTERSECTION OF FASHION AND SPORT
In New Balance promotions, you will often see images combining functional style and clean design with highquality tech materials. Today’s fashion world doesn’t seem to think it’s weird to pair luxury pieces and sweatpants in one look as long as it is done mindfully (but look effortless). A hoodie and matching bottoms may be topped off with a long trench coat and a pair of leather 550’s. A technical, sweat-wicking top might be paired with a leather skirt. The possibilities are endless, and the best part of this unusual intersection is that today’s fashion is more comfortable than it’s ever been.
One colour that has been trending consistently in footwear is white, which seems to both elevate an outfit and ensure an easy cross-over to casual. All winter, usually a time for sensible, dark footwear, people have been drawn to white and off-white sneakers. This attraction continues. Besides New Balance Victoria’s extensive Lifestyle options, the all-white colourway is available in their most popular running shoes: the women’s 880, 1080, and More, as well as leather crosstrainers in men’s and women’s: 928, 608, and 857.
AUTHENTIC
New Balance is moving in two directions with the idea of authenticity. One is its increased production of American-made 990, 998, and 996 models, and a capsule apparel collection. Of course, these things also come with a high price tag, but once you try them, you’ll see why.
The key words here are luxury and craftsmanship. The other direction is towards sustainability. This year, New Balance created its most eco-friendly model to date with the Hierrov8 trail shoe and most of their technical tops consist of at least 60% recycled fibers. The company has been transitioning to recycled materials and better, eco-friendly ingredients with the overall aim of sustainability.