10 of the freshest New Balance sneakers on the market right now
There will always be a place for the OG chunky dad sneaker
By 
FATHER-SON BONDING, in my household, was often built around New Balance sneakers. While some families might talk about cars, watches, or wine, whenever my dad came home with a fresh pair from the American-born shoe brand, he’d gush about things like the pigskin suede, whatever new shade of grey they’ve released, or, his most prized, pairs labelled on the tongue, ‘Made in USA’. Of course, in the few years that we shared the same shoe size, I’d steal a few pairs. Like the nursery rhyme, but he’s the man who lives in the New Balance shoe.
But don’t get the paternal associations twisted. After all, it was only a few seasons ago that New Balance shoes triggered the dad sneaker craze, hard. And while slimmer sneakers (we wrote about how the Puma Speedcat is quietly usurping the Samba) are all anyone’s after now, there will always be a place for the thick, substantial footed dad sneaker, thanks also, in no small part, to the brand’s partnership with New York brand Aimé Leon Dore – recently, designer Teddy Santis’ interpretation’s of the heritage brand have slipped it back on the feet of cool guys everywhere.
So in a sneaker market putting out rehashes on retro styles almost every other week, we’d argue no better brand has a more immense archive like New Balance’s. With ones built for basketball or running, in fresh colourways and materials, scroll on for our selects of the coolest New Balance sneakers on the market right now.
What are the best New Balance shoes?
10. New Balance 550
Throwing it back to 1989, when creating the basketball sneaker was fierce competition among shoe brands, New Balance released their 550s. Though there are obviously more prolific shoes designed for the court (ahem, Air Jordan 1s), New Balance tucked the 550 into the archive. But in late 2020, the model returned to the full-time lineup. And as most rereleases go, focus shifted away from its origins, only now the 550 is built with synthetic suede, while still retaining the overall feel of the sport it was built for.
9. New Balance 530
Whenever I happen across someone sporting a pair of New Balance 530s, the overall ensemble can either be ironic or unironically paternal. If you consider yourself in the former, the 530s are our pick for techy, silvery sneakers. But disguised in trendy footwear design language, the shoe is crafted with performance tech throughout. Perhaps this is why their ubiquity lies in their design; 530s are virtually indestructible.
8. New Balance 327
The 70s was the decade of recreational running. So New Balance acted on that promptly. Their 327 model still holds up today, though with a slight angular reworking of the suede overlays. Still, it wears its history on its sleeve, featured in the waffle press-like trail outsole.
7. New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080
As the only running shoe to make it on the list, the Fresh Foam X 1080 isn’t our pick without reason. It is, in the words of the brand, “If we only made one running shoe, it would be the Fresh Foam X 1080”. With experience running in this pair, I can vouch that its midsole cushioning carries me comfortably (landing to push-off) from everyday runs to race day. The shoe is also an update to the v14, featuring a clean triple jacquard mesh that doesn’t scream breathable.
6. New Balance 2002R
I’ve been trying to put my finger on it, but there’s something nebulus about the 2002R. The brushed, almost cloth-like detailing against the supple suede uppers indeed embodies the brand’s affinity for unlikely texture pairings. But it’s probably that each layer is from the same colour palette, giving it that deep space, monochrome depth. That’s a pretty heavy-handed way of saying it’s steezey design, but you’ve got to admire how the brand elevate’s even their own top-tier running shoe.
5. New Balance 1906R
Following on from our deep-dive into the brand’s techy, shiny offerings, the 1906R is the louder cousin to the 530 we saw earlier. But in terms of silhouette and design, it’s from the same family as the 2002R where it follows in the high-performance heritage. But the 1906R remains breathable featuring open-holed mesh, given shape with curvilinear synthetic overlays.
4. New Balance 9060
Again, staying with the futuristic paramtres, the 9060 instead does with refined, smoother material. Not too loud, the model is a reinterpretation of the 99X with pigskin suede uppers. Its wavy lines also ground it in present trends, leaning into the Y2K tech aesthetic. As for proportions, the 9060 is on the chunkier side, done in a way where its exaggerated emphasis lends to even more comfort and cushioning.
3. New Balance 991v2
There’s one degree of separation between the 991 sneaker and the creation of the iPhone. As one of the two New Balance pairs Steve Jobs would wear (the other being the 992) – worn famously with an Issey Miyake turtleneck and Levi’s 501s – the 991 is certainly an icon. First released in 2001, the sneaker has since come back by popular demand when menswear-heads wanted to emulate Jobs’ even more famously minimalist living. The 991v2 model is part of the brand’s ‘Made in UK’ segment, made with pigskin suede uppers.
2. New Balance 480
As to why New Balance may have fallen out of favour in our slim sneaker world, some chalk it up to the brand’s penchant for elaborate overlays and mish-mashing of various textures. But for our pick of the best white New Balance sneaker, the 480 is takes the title. Made of leather uppers, the shoe slightly progresses into other shades of white and grey. So subtle is the look with its premium materials, the brown rubber sole gives it a sporty edge.
1. New Balance 574
Even New Balance describes the 574 as “the most New Balance shoe ever”. A certifiable classic, if you were to have one shoe from the brand, it should be this one. Unassuming and unpretentious in its disposition, the 574 is one of the few models in the brand’s stable to have dozens of new colourways dropping throughout the year. The upper suede is always in a dark contrast to the brighter ‘N’. And of course, some sort of athletic function isn’t lost on this pair, which was originally released in 1988 as a technical running shoe.
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