New Balance Blog

The classic cars 576 pack is now shipping at Hanon!

Previously on NBB

A new made-in-UK neon red 574 is available at Sold Out. It’s made with black carbon, black leather and bright red suede and has bicolor laces for a super techy look. They have a pretty wide range of sizes in stock and it will set you back 90 Euros.

Via Sold Out

This Monday 12/4, Crooked Tongues’ Villainy series will be released for sale via their online store at 4pm GMT (8am PST - to find the time in your zone check here). Priced at GBP 150 (about USD $300) they are hella spendy for NB’s but the materials, details, concept, design and packaging is clearly a cut above. Unfortunately I’m pretty sure I remember reading that the sizes only go up to 12 which means I am shut out. It’s a sizeist conspiracy! Oh well, enjoy ‘em.

Edit — yup, available US sizes are 8, 9, 10, 10 1/2, 11, 11 1/2, 12.

“A final announcement on our ‘Confederation Of Villainy’ pack with New Balance. Each shoe will be 150gbp and they’ll be strictly limited to 99 pairs of each. All 4 shoes will be going on sale on Monday December 4th at 4pm GMT exclusively from the Crooked store. Premium leathers and suedes, a ton of tiny details like the white eyelet and tongue tags on each pair and of course, the custom slide boxes - made to our specifications, and illustrated by BJ Betts, with some incredible artwork, printed on heavy duty stock. Ain’t no half-stepping round these parts. Shipping is free in the UK, and just to reiterate, these shoes won’t be available anywhere else….”

Here’s the final round of graphic design pr0n.. mmmm…

“After Crooked set a standard for New Balance collaborations in 2004, with four limited edition 576s, after the hiatus that followed the Solebox collaborating 1500 in early ‘05, the sneaker landscape has changed and it takes a little more to stand out in a sea of overcooked, loveless gangbangs between brands. Crooked’s relationship with New Balance’s Flimby HQ has been tight and Winter 2006 seemed the right time to drop more gems.

Rather than clambering for a concept that hasn’t already been done to death, they wanted to make quality and attention to detail the focal point. Between four models - collaborative favourites, the 1500, 577 and 575, plus debuting with its very own custom sole unit for this special edition, the 991, these UK made shoes have been overseen so that every stitch, leather, fabric and stealthy dose of 3M is as requested. Each model is linked by use of an eyecatching highlight colour - red, yellow, blue and green, a white metal top eyelet and a custom tongue label.

Of course, with the original Crooked Tongues /New Balance pieces setting precedents, there was a need to take the project even further to ensure sleepless nights for anyone following this drop. Call it self-indulgence, but for all at Crooked Tongues, this was designed with them in mind, under the faintly arrogant notion that they’re on the same wavelength as the discerning heads, disillusioned by weak drops that cause a momentary palpitation, but ultimately lead down the slippery slope to buyers remorse. Generic packaging has led to a wall of faceless browns, reds and blues and special packaging can cement classic status on the spot.

Operating under the team name of ‘Confederation Of Villainy’ the box art takes it back to a time when villains were occasionally charming, often brutal, but memorable in their wrongdoing. Reflecting the nationality of the crew member in charge of the makeup - the 575 is represented by the gentleman robber of the Old West, Black Bart, the 577 by Chinese bandit Black Sword, the 1500 by scourge of the seas Blackbeard and the 991 by the feared highwayman Black Tom. Custom box artwork by tattoo artist and graphic designer BJ Betts, as well as premium stock makes this the logical conclusion of a Crooked Tongues quest for some of the nicest sneaker packaging to date to cap this intelligent collaboration. Limited to 99 pairs of each model, the ‘Confederation Of Villainy’ rides into town in December 2006, only from the Crooked Tongues store.

In response to several queries, the shoes are available in the following US sizes (just remember that according to the labels, New Balance US sizes are half a size, rather than a whole size bigger than UK sizes. For example, a US 9 1/2 is a UK 9) - 8, 9, 10, 10 1/2, 11, 11 1/2 and 12.”

Via CT

Happy late Thanksgiving!

Here’s the fourth and final Villainy shoe from Crooked Tongues in case you haven’t seen it already…

“For the fourth in our ‘Confederation Of Villainy’ collaboration with New Balance we decided to take a wander away from the beaten path, kindly trodden down for us by previous collaborators and play with a performance favourite – the 991. Far from obscure, this model was deemed state-of-the-art on its costly debut in 1999 and still gets plenty of high-mileage athletic outings. Whereas shoes from ‘89 and earlier generally earn the Flimby-made cult following, the 991 is considered the staple New Balance shoe worldwide, with such luminaries as Apple’s Steve Jobs (prior to the dawn of the Nike+) and Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass seen in a pair.

All of which meant Crooked felt the need to play around with this sneaker as part of this pack. Using black and grey suede plus green leather for the bulk of the upper, there’s a blinding dash of flouro workwear fabric dropped in the mix as seasoning. New Balance kindly allowed us to incorporate a custom sole on this model – the ABZORB midsole, the outsole now blends in with the clours of its attached upper, while the outsole incorporates a neon green, lifting it from its usual stern appearance. The ‘UK’ panel on the heel now reads ‘991′, there’s a spot of contrast stitching to up the visual ante. Factor in the custom tongue label and white metal eyelet and we’re pretty certain that the risk of entering unknown territory was well worth it, making a hi-tech product look even more forward-thinking.

The BJ Betts illustrated box for this shoe pays homage to the mysterious highwayman, and one-time scourge of Bedfordshire, Black Tom with some beautifully executed packaging. And here’s the important details in brief - 99 pairs. CT store only. December.”

Via CT

Villainy episode 3 of 4 is a beefy yet tasteful 575 with the same black-heavy design paired this time with shades of blue. Nice stitching and white highlight around the “N”. Black Bart was a polite Wild West stagecoach robber who used to leave poems at the scene of the crime- nice!

“Another official debut for one of our forthcoming Crooked x New Balance ‘Confederation Of Villainy’ models - you might have had a fleeting glance at this 575 that’s looking to beat the competiition black and blue before, bit it’s time to explore it in more depth. As mentioned, blue is very much the colour, with with a strikingly bright variation used as the highlight on the upper and sole unit. The white leather behind the ‘N’ and a substantial scattering of 3M sets off the whole shebang. As previously mentioned, you can expect a custom tongue label, intelligent use of the ‘ol contrast stitch, premium materials and the white metal top eyelet, but in this case, your limited edition acquisition is guarded by a super-durable gum outsole. For trail heads and blueophiles alike, it’s an appealing shoe.

Accompanying this 575 is custom packaging themed after the gentleman crook of the Old West, Black Bart, with the same obsessive level of attention to detail as the kicks themselves. Again, 99 pairs, CT store only and scheduled for early December. Right, that’s three down, one to go…”

Via CT

ps- My guess for the fourth shoe–BLACK BUSH!

CT has released the info on the second in the Villainy series - a yellow 577 named after Song Jiang aka “Black Sword.” Can’t mess with the yellow and grey combination and the mesh tongue looks very distinct. The 577 is one of the best models of New Balance IMO so this one looks like another winner.

“Another day, another preview of one of the four shoes in our ‘Confederation Of Villainy’ collaboration with New Balance. The premium quality and comfort of the 577 has given it a cult following and the packaging on this limited edition makeover pays tribute to Chinese outlaw Song Jiang aka Black Sword - another BJ Betts illustrated banger that’ll make you want to jettison those generic stacks of cardboard teetering around your homes.

But onto the shoe itself - a carbon ‘N’ is backed with bright white leather, a mesh tongue, trim and toebox is in effect, as is a subtle spot of 3M and dash of dark grey premium leather. Oh, and the mustard yellow suede and lining might generate a few fans. Some tactically-placed white contrast stitching, the white metal top eyelet and the custom ‘Confederation…’ tongue label maintains the theme, but like its three siblings, it can hold its own away from the pack. Again, these are limited to 99 pairs exclusively from the CT store, and due to drop in early December…”

Via CT

London’s Crooked Tongues has done four shoes with New Balance as part of a “Confederacy of Villainy” series, limited to 99 pairs each with custom packaging. The first is a 1500 inspired by Black Beard; the remaining three will be revealed over the next three days. Badness! Villainy, feel him in ya heart chakra chart toppa / Star shit stoppa be a smart shoppa…

“Over the next week we’ll reveal our latest collaboration with New Balance - the ‘Confederacy Of Villainy’. One shoe each day for the next four days allowing you the opportunity to see each shoe on it’s own merit.

The technical running shoe that’s earnt its rightful place in the hearts of heads worldwide is a prime candidate for some collaborative action, so it took a little more to make the 1500 stand-out after some tight partnerships using this premium performance silhouette. Using a mixture of leather and mesh there’s a few asides to the original construction of this shoe, before the animal hides took over entirely. A mix of black, white and grey plus a nicely-timed burst of very flouro red reflects the villain the shoe was themed after - Blackbeard, the hollow-point bad-boy of piracy who allegedly upped the fear factor by rocking lit matches in his beard. Given the dark subject matter, a black midsole was incorporated - it was relevant, so we’re unapologetic to the white sole faithful!

While we’re on-topic, there’s plenty of other details on board - a dose of contrast stitching, both white and red and in line with this 1500’s three villainous brethren, a white metal eyelet, and finally a unique tongue label that will only ever grace these four models. And then there’s the packaging. Working with BJ Betts, there’s some premium pirate skull action at work that should impress those bored with the generic boxes stacked in their closets. It’s been a helluva lot of work and cost, but in the years since ’04’s first wave of CT/New Balance collabos, the stakes have been well and truly raised. As confirmed last week, these are limited to 99 pairs on sale exclusively via the site in early December… “

Via HighSnobiety

Just got the blast from Hanon that they’ve released a set of the three “Flimby Heroes” Centenary kicks along with a book, stamp set and toys modeled after the three Flimby workers.  This is limited to SIX sets only!

This weekend we launch a limited edition New Balance Centenary set.

New Balance celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2006 and to mark the milestone have released a commemorative footwear collection. This weekend in conjunction with NB we will be releasing six Centenary sets. Each will comprise of all three models - the M1500IB Ian, M670VD Victor and M577AS ‘Audrey as well as a special edition hardback book and all bonus accessory additons

The book is especially desirable as it is not available for resale but created solely for inhouse promotion. Released for the centenary and finished with a plush hardback cover it charts 100 years of the New Balance company. All footwear models are featured in detail as well as classic advertisements, company history, production and ethos, and striking archive photography from sporting events throughout the years.

The Centenary Set (6 pieces only)

• M670VD Victor
• M1500IB Ian
• M577AS Audrey
• Hardback Centenary book ‘Enduring Performance The New Balance Story’
• Collectable Playmobil toys
• Stamp Set

The sets will be priced at £239.95

For the first 3 orders we have a ‘3 widths mug set set’ set to give away.

The New Balance Centenary set will go live this Saturday November 11th at 1pm (UK)

Previously:
Centenary (100 Years) Edition - 577, 670, 1500

Highsnobiety has pics of NB UK’s Spring/Summer 07 line, courtesy of marketing agency, Canoe.

This includes the “Classic Car Range” threesome, scheduled for release in three months. My guess is these are 576’s like the Jacket series?

“The sneakers were inspired by 3 classic cars: Porsche Carrera, Ferrari Testarossa and Triumph Herald. … This range will go on Sale 2nd of February and will be exclusively available at Frontier, Offspring and Size? in the UK.”

Plenty of 574’s in the collection too including the Asian dragon model previously on NBB, another brown embroidered model, and a trio of bright colorways. I’m all about the fluorescent yellow!

Via Highsnobiety

Update: Now also at Overkill, Berlin.

This one has arrived at End Clothing UK who mention that it comes with two sets of laces- maroon and fluorescent yellow. Here are some more pics from their site…

Via End