Matt Varga While Victory Sportswear and Vans were earlier to unite with the Montreal brand, it’s common knowledge at this point that the initial JJJJound x New Balance collaboration was the one that really helped the imprint reach escape velocity. Beyond being a load-bearing pillar in the brand’s business history, the initial “Mushroom” New Balance 990v3 has been an aesthetic reference point for the two brands’ shared catalog ever since, spread onto the 992, 991, and 993 in subsequent iterations.
Save for an earnest retro, New Balance and JJJJound are now getting as close to square one as possible with their latest, unveiling the New Balance 990v4 “Mushroom.” Though compositional changes from the v3 to the v4 obviously make for subtle differences, the next chapter largely rings true to its forebears, coated in heavy doses of the titular earthy shade, utilizing off-white laces and rich brown underlays to complement that suede over top.
Rather than a conventional release, also of note is that JJJJound is utilizing a pre-order for this shoe, a model that A-list New Balance collaborators like Aime Leon Dore have frequently turned to of late. Though we’re not privy to the exact inner workings, it’s highly possible that this will allow the brand to get an exact gauge of ideal production numbers well ahead of Fall 2026, when this colorway will hit the hands of its purchasers, likely making this the most populous and accessible of the lineage to date. Retail pricing hasn’t yet been announced, but preorders will go live on December 12th at 9AM EST. A landing page has already gone live; hit the link HERE to read up on this pair ahead of time.
