The 10 Best New Balance Shoes of 2018

While surely a giant in its own right, New Balance has created quite a niche for itself, with many menswear enthusiasts flocking to the clean palettes and silhouettes of its many models. Despite focusing a lot on their mainline releases, the Boston-based label has gradually started teaming up with a few obscure yet noteworthy talents within the industry, further elevating their “dad” shoes with some much needed notoriety. 2019 remains a mystery in terms of forthcoming colorways and styles, though maybe the Top 10 list below will shed some light on their projected trajectory.

10. New Balance 574 Collab Pack A staple in the overarching line-up, the 574 has become something of an enigma, garnering favor from the most dedicated of fans while amazing even the most casual consumer. Celebrating some of its most famed collaborative colorways, the 4-part pack brings a return to its releases with the likes of CONCEPTS, mita x WHIZ LIMITED, Sneakersnstuff, as well as Sneaker Freaker.

9. CONCEPTS x New Balance 991.5 “London Bridge” A visually appealing immortalization of one of our nation’s most quirkiest moments in history. CONCEPTS and the UK team did it right.

8. New Balance 574 “Legacy of Grey” One of the few 574s to pay homage to New Balance’s roots. Three versatile grey colorways mimic the 990s that refreshed the industry back in 1982.

7. Adsum x New Balance 990 v3 In what is easily a partnership of like-minded labels, the Adsum tooled V3 created an alluring blend of sartorialism and lifestyle.

6. Packer x New Balance X-90 Honoring the many models before it, Packer’s take inflicted a needed dose of heritage onto the newly introduced X-90.

5. Stray Rats x New Balance 990 v3 Making a name for themselves from the often underestimated fashion culture of Miami, Stray Rats’ vibrant colorway struck quite a cord for fans of the rising label.

4. New Balance 990 v4 “Legends” A celebration of roots in every regard. Bringing back the original tooling at the low original price tag is something surely that shook fans as they filled lines.

3. nanamica x New Balance RC-1 nanamica has yet to fully enter the sneaker world, though its high attention to detail and strong understanding of durable fabrications made it an easy match for New Balance. Shining light on Japan’s adoration for its chunky silhouettes, the team crafted instant staples with an underlying GORE-TEX durability.

2. Kith x United Arrows x nonnative x New Balance 997s Easily the most expansive collaboration the Boston-based brand has seen in quite a long time, the three-way partnership with Kith, nonnative, and United Arrows has lead to a pack full of strong colorways. Further proving the palette mastery of Ronnie Fieg as well as the constructive prowess of both Japanese labels, the capsule has shown the creative possibilities of New Balance’s many offerings.

1. JJJJound x New Balance 990 v3 One of the biggest of mysteries while conversely standing as an OG of 2008 internet culture, the nuanced design house JJJound has infused its minimal design language onto a dad shoe that sold out as fast as any Supreme drop.