For whatever reason, the overall shapes of your favorite retro silhouettes often end up different from the OG releases. Recent New Balance 1500 issues have been a bit round in the toes for those that have followed the brand for a while, despite keeping things at home with the Flimby production. Anyways, if you’re not feeling that shape and you want something more in tune with the flat-footed look then check this quick re-shaping custom. All that it took was ripping open the toe box and doing a little bit of surgery and you’ve got a much more original looking New Balance 1500 silhouette. See the transformation below and let us know if you prefer the “after” to the “before” here.
The New Balance 1500 comes with a bit of a rounded-off toe out of the box.
Materials include a knife, a hair dryer, some strong glue, and a pair of NBs.
First the toe box is separated from the sole unit.
Then the suede is separated from the mesh.
The synthetic pad between the mesh and the suede is apparently the primary cause of the rounder shape.
The synthetic padding is removed from the suede.
Glue is applied to put the suede and the mesh back together again.
The toe box is attached to the sole kit again, with the knife used to scrap off excuse glue.
Viola, you’ve got a re-shaped New Balance 1500.
Photos: SA