Aaron Hope 
While the world’s major athletic brands gear up for participation in the 2012 Olympic Games, New Balance knows the ‘Road to London’ is paved by the M1 and M6 motorways you’d take from Flimby to the British capital. The New England running specialists who maintain a top-notch UK factory presence have honored the XXX Olympiad with a bunch of kicks carrying this collection name, but the 574s and 576s we’d seen to this point took a more indirect route to expressing their inspiration. With the New Balance 574 ‘Road to London’ and its new 420 comrades, this sextet lets each of the Union Jack’s colors take center stage for one design while the other two play supporting roles along with a little gold for the five rings flair. The end result is kind of like NB’s classics catalog as a whole: a lot of similarities, with a focus on subtle details and premium quality. We know these bold looks will arrive before the Games in August, so have a closer look and stick with Sneaker News for updates. via HS
