Japan’s mita And Marquee Player Craft A Water/Stain Repellent New Balance MT580

The New Balance MT580’s most beefed up trim, the Vibram-soled Gore-Tex protected iteration, gets a significant upgrade in both aesthetic and function with the help of two Japanese institutions.

Esteemed boutique mita Sneakers, no stranger itself to the 580 silhouette, joins forces with Marquee Player, purveyor of protective products for sneakers, to create one of the most shielded shoes on the market. Itself is already armored with the earlier-mentioned Gore-Tex layer, this New Balance MT580 features droplets of water screened onto the lateral side of the shoes, representative of the defensive layer provided by Marquee Player’s signature item. mita itself applies an aquatic color-scheme via the various shades of blue, while their signature chain link fence graphic makes an appearance on the insoles. On the tongue are thorough instructions for washing and caring for these prized gems.

Given the color scheme and the spray graphics, it’s hard not to draw comparisons to the signature motif of Stash, whose works often center around a mix of blues with various graffiti-inspired imagery — namely the spray nozzle.

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This version of the New Balance MT580, said to be inspired by the military-issue New Balances of past years, first emerged in October of last year through a collaborative project with Masterpiece Sound and Hombre Nino. We’ve yet to see it release as an in-line product, but perhaps New Balance is reserving this niche sneaker for its creative partnerships department given how prized the MT580 model is to the region.

If you’re looking to secure these New Balances, they’ll be dropping exclusively in Japan through mita sneakers and Marquee Player for 33,000 yen.

For more attainable NBs, here’s the latest on the New Balance 550.