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If a single sneaker had to be chosen to sum up the current streetwear zeitgeist, Aimé Leon Dore's New Balance 550 would be a worthy pick. The low-top sneakers have crossed over from being an IYKYK wink to a proper sneaker smash hit worn by downtown locals and celebrities alike.
So, when a restock or new colorway of the ALD NB 550 emerges, it's kind of a big deal.
Considering that most 550 colorways are relatively plain affairs — Aimé Leon Dore's collaborative sneakers included — it's an even bigger deal to glimpse pairs of New Balance 550s entirely ensconced in plush tonal suede.
Sneaker leak accounts across social media have begun circulating pictures of a navy suede Aimé Leon Dore New Balance 550, dressed entirely in handsome suede leather.
There're some embossed logos here and deliciously yellowed midsoles there but all that does is make the main subject, the cool-hued suede, look that much more tantalizing. It's a good look for the 550 in general, but adding the ALD co-sign is only gonna make these shoes that much more desirable.
In fact, the leaked sneakers recall another set of rumored Aimé Leon Dore New Balances.
You can see from the above that ALD's NB 650 is supposedly being prepped with its own all-suede makeover.
There's a lot more suede going on here, obviously — there's more shoe to cover! — but the most important takeaway from these unconfirmed kicks is that ALD and NB could very well be introducing the suede 550s in three different colorways, if they exist at all.
Red, green, and navy. It's primary color paradise!
Aimé Leon Dore most recently opened its London flagship store — a boon to British fans, who may like ALD even more than New Yorkers — and dropped its latest round of curated vintage as part of its ongoing "Leon Dore" collection.
Busy times for the indie brand and, if the New Balance 550s and 650s are actually gonna drop, even busier times for sneaker-starved fans.
