Action Bronson's New Balance Trail Sneaker Is a Wonderfully Weird Mutation
Action Bronson's sublime New Balance sneaker collabs just keep coming. With Bronson's deliciously flashy New Balance 1906R sneaker only just dropping (and selling out instantly), the connoisseur of good eats has certainly earned a break from big-time shoe releases.
But, for the good of the world, the Action Bronson x New Balance excellence continues unabated.
Next up in Bronson's series of New Balance sneakers is a true oddity, one truly deserving of his signature high-vis collaborative fingerprint.
Suddenly revealed by the man himself — both in candid on-feet appearances and Instagram Stories — Bronson's next New Balance shoe is arguably his weirdest.
Whereas Bronson's prior NB team-ups sat comfortably in the realm of dad shoe — New Balance 1906, for instance, and New Balance 990 — Bronson's new full-flavor sneakers are somehow even more enjoyably elderly.
Yes, the next Action Bronson New Balance is a Minimus Trail silhouette, an appreciably odd outdoorsy sneaker as chunky as Bronson's prior sneaker collabs but even stranger.
It's much appreciated that Bronson issues his New Balance collabs in all-in hues — his previous and (instantly sold-out) NB 1906 incorporated gorgeous blue, pink, and green shades all at the same time.
So, yes, give us an attention-grabbingly eerie Minimus that's simultaneously flat and sleek and wears neutral grey tones while also exploding with purple and green accents. It's so wonderfully weird that it goes beyond garishness and into the realm of maximalist perfection.
Enough with the neutral-toned shoes! Let's embrace quirked-up collaborative colorways again.
Compare Bronson's out-there Minimus with the two other timely stabs at even more low-profile New Balance runners, demonstrated by both Issey Miyake and, most recently, Junya Watanabe.
The Japanese labels opted for a super streamlined Minimus barefoot runner, something so flatly smooth that a single-tone black or white colorway was the only thing that made sense.
But with Action Bronson taking on something with a bit more heft, an additional splash of color is warranted.
Now, if you demand your shoes be simple, take heart. Bronson's new Minimus may be just a sample. Hopefully, though, the finished version is even crazier.