After teasing an updated 1906 shoe before Christmas, New Balance and sneaker retailer atmos have revealed their entire 2024 Lunar New Year sneaker collection, steeped in references to Chinese tradition and the Year of the Dragon.
The Year of the Dragon, which begins February 1, is associated with Earth's elements: wood, water, fire, soil, metal. However, the colorways on atmos' New Balance shoes are all fairly neutral, leaning towards the year's grounded feel.
Thanks to the teeny tiny details differentiating these new celebratory kicks from their traditional inspirations, though, New Balance's thematic sneaker pack still feels complete.
The evolved structural details on each shoe in the collection truly sets them apart from their classic predecessors. There’s the aforementioned M1906N, an updated 1906 sneaker in a cream and pink colorway with silver details, for instance.
The chunkier sole and Big N logo on the side differentiate them from the classic 1906, which has seen update after update in 2023.
So it’s only fitting that New Balance would tweak them yet another time into one of the sexier pairs of sneakers in the 2024 Lunar New Year collection thanks to its technical build.
The panels on the sidewalls and work with the eyelets of the laces, which is a cohesive, fresh touch.
To tie in with the Year of the Dragon's wealth-leaning benefits, there’s also the new 610T in navy blue, grey, and army green with a suede and mesh detailed upper.
It’s an evolved take on the M610, a running shoe originally released in 2012.
If you’re truly looking to center yourself in this Year of the Dragon, look no further than the ABZORBED-made midsole on the 610Ts for a better lift into all the good things and changes coming your way.
If both the 610T and M1906Ns are too conventional for you, the new WRPD Runner in pitch black looks like a sneaker straight from the future with the oversized, grey FUEL CELL sole.
The glossy 3M logo gives the running shoe a sophisticated and sleek vibe, but it’s the jade details around the tongue — the key color of the Year of the Dragon —that make this pair pop, ever so slightly.
Both the M1906N and the 610T also have celebratory jade insoles to signify their place in the Lunar New Year collection.
The 2024 Lunar New Year collection, available January 1 New Balance's website, atmos' web store, and high-end sneaker boutiques, also includes cropped hoodies, joggers, and an anorak jacket in neutral creams and blacks, in addition to a muted green color, a nod to the jade details on the sneakers.
If you’re looking for something to wear throughout the new year to bring you all that the Year of the Dragon promises, at least one of these models should do the trick.
