This article was published on September 16, 2022 and updated on October 31, 2022
Nothing quite gets both modern-day sneakerheads and casual collectors going like an Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 550 release. In truth, anything ALD speeds the blood up nowadays, although its ongoing NB collaborations are entirely in another realm of their own.
Inspired by classic basketball footwear — Aimé Leon Dore calls them "basketball oxfords." — the 550 is pretty clunky. Not clunky in a classic dad sneaker way (my dad would never wear an ALD 550), but clunky in a you-know-you-are-gonna-need-to-break-these-bad-boys-in kind of way.
Since the 550 was relaunched back in 2021, ALD’s iterations have undeniably been the most popular, especially the initial colorways that arrived what feels like an eternity ago as part of Aimé Leon Dore's Spring/Summer 2021 collection.
From the early IYKYK days, to high-tops, lows, and now being almost impossible to cop, it’s a sneaker at the helm of everyone’s wish list, and thanks to the myriad of ongoing iterations that have been released: many said wishes have come true.
Aimé Leon Dore's latest 550 colorways — made available for raffle on ALD's website as of October 31 for $130 apiece — were first teased in Aimé Leon Dore’s Uniform campaign in mid-September.
If nothing else, they're certainly taking the sought-after sneaker back to basics as part of an expanded Fall/Winter 2022 collection.
Two different low-key variations are arriving, one predominantly in white with pops of grey and beige for good measure, the other mostly clad in slightly darker suede with the same off-white midsole.
Talking of the Uniform FW22 campaign, Aimé Leon Dore raised some eyebrows by teasing some suspiciously Super Birki-like slip-on shoes in a myriad of colors, suggesting that a potential collaboration was in store for the season.
Turns out, no Birkenstocks here. Aimé Leon Dore instead dropped the Garden Mule, a backless clog that merely resembles Birkenstock's signature backless sandal for nurses, cooks, and other professionals.
At $95, the Garden Mule is cheaper than ALD's New Balance 550 and significantly less hyped, which means they'll be easier to get, ostensibly. Perhaps the sneaker raffle will even the playing fields, though.
