Fashion is built from short attention spans. Ever remember last year’s trends and how they seem irrelevant now? Ever seen yourself shelling out crazy amounts of money on last season’s flavor of the month only to see the hype die down and see your money go down the drain? Crazy right?
The same narrative goes to shoes. Remember how everyone said Dunks and Yeezys will always be the kings of the hill? Ever seen New Balance reach this level of hype and fanaticism? There was a time when no one paid attention to grayed-out dad sneakers but time says otherwise–people have started gravitating towards more functional sneaker options. You know, those that beg to be worn, unlike the usual basketball shoes that hurt the wallet and the feet at the same time.
In the age of the internet, New Balance seems to have all the hype. It is today’s discovery of choice for celebrities, influencers, and sneaker elite…and yes, they are now getting stronger in the basketball department.
From Jaden Smith, to Timothee Chalamet, to Tom Holland, to Zoë Kravitz, and Rihanna. Hell, even Leonardo DiCaprio is seen in a pair of 574s. Does it seem like a trend, or is it here to stay? We say it’s more of the latter.
We can also attribute New Balance’s creative outburst with today’s most popular brands like Levi’s and Aimé Leon Dore to name a few. The latest proof that New Balance is here to stay was the local release of the 2002R Protection Pack which drove a full-scale riot from local malls here in the Philippines- ever imagined getting into a fistfight for New Balances? It’s happening!
So, in one sentence, New Balance has fast become the brand of choice in today’s sneaker/streetwear landscape. By way of today’s A-list celebrities and influencers who gravitated towards the brand, it just happened organically. To say that it’s a nice accident is an understatement and New Balance is reaping the fruits of what they’ve been consistently doing all along.
So will the New Balance trend stay? The fact is, they’ve always been there and killing the game. It’s just now that we took notice. Will this upper trajectory get a downfall? We don’t think so. It may reach a saturation point but that’s for another story. Personally, we just love the fact that we’re getting more options for our buck.
In other news, here’s a closer look at the Warren Lotas SB Dunk in the Toxic Green colorway.
