The strange thing about watching your old man become fashionable is that he generally hasn’t done anything. He’s still wearing the same jeans, still tucking his shirt into them, still standing by the front door in a pair of grey New Balances while everyone else gets ready.
Somewhere along the way, people with considerably more expensive haircuts began dressing like him, and now you’re contemplating spending $350 on shoes you once asked him to change before picking you up from school.
New Balance has enjoyed this reversal of fortune more than most, and few shoes explain it better than the 990. First released in 1982 after four years of development, it was conceived with the fairly extravagant ambition of being the best running shoe possible.
That pursuit produced something whose appeal eventually extended well beyond running, helped by the discovery that a comfortable, well-made trainer remained comfortable and well-made when worn to a restaurant.
The latest instalment, the Made in USA 990v7, arrives in Australia on November 6. By now, updating the thing must be a mildly terrifying assignment. There are customers who can identify individual generations from the other side of a bar, alongside those who simply walk into a shop every few years and ask for another pair of the grey ones. Both have strong opinions, although only the first group is likely to share them on the r/NewBalance subreddit.
Wisely, New Balance has approached the seventh edition with restraint. The silhouette has been streamlined through changes to its proportions and layering, with tumbled leather accents joining the familiar pigskin suede and breathable mesh. It retains the reassuringly substantial appearance that makes a 990 so useful beneath a good pair of trousers, where a more athletic-looking shoe might suggest you’re about to leave lunch early to supervise a school cross-country.
Most of the changes you’ll actually feel happen underneath. A softer version of the FuelCell midsole introduced in the v6 promises more cushioning, while ENCAP technology and a new TPU midfoot shank help keep things stable. We’ll need to wear them before offering a verdict, but extra comfort seems a reasonable priority for a shoe likely to spend its working life navigating airports, coffee queues and the occasional ambitious Sunday walk.
The accompanying campaign features ROSALÍA, Josh Allen, Cooper Flagg and IU, giving the launch a cultural reach considerably beyond the suburban driveway. Still, the appeal of the 990 has always been how easily it settles into whatever life its owner happens to lead. You could spend a long time thinking about how to wear it, although the man by the front door would wonder what was taking you so long.
The New Balance Made in USA 990v7 launches at 10am AEDT on Friday, November 6, for $350, via New Balance Australia and select retailers.