Ever since Teddy Santis took over as the creative director of New Balance’s Made in USA division, he’s been hyping up the Boston sportswear company one silhouette at a time. Now, he’s taking on the 990v4 with the just-landed Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 990v4 “Blue.” And, surprisingly, it actually feels very un-Aimé Leon Dore.
If you take a look at some of ALD’s most recent NB collabs, there’s a through line of clean, simple, toned-down design. With this version of the 990v4, the American streetwear stalwart has swapped out all of the neutral tones in favor of a bold blue hue. This head-turning shade features on both the mesh base and pigskin suede overlays, and it even makes its way throughout the entire interior of the shoe itself. We’re going full Eiffel 65 here.
Light gray accents hit the “N” logo across the lateral and medial sidewalls. Around the toebox and heel, you’ll find pops of 3M to help you flex your sneaker game in low-light conditions. All of this then rests on top of a creamy Encap midsole, offsetting all that blue with an almost vintage vibe.
