Here's How to Cop Aimé Leon Dore's New Balance 997s Today
Brand: Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance
Model: 997 Made in USA
Key Features: The ’90s silhouette features a classic white upper and midsole and gray outer enlivened by colorful paneling. The opposing cerise and mustard yellow tongues elevate the shoe from dadcore staple to something sharper. The 997 boasts suede overlays, a pebbled nubuck tongue and heel, mesh underlays, custom floral insoles, an ENCAP midsole, and a TPU heel counter.
Release Date: April 19
Price: TBC
Buy: New Balance stockists like END. Clothing and HAVEN
Editor’s Notes: After a sporty SS19 collection, Aimé Leon Dore has returned to unveil a new project with New Balance. Initially there was only one image to go off, followed by KITH's Ronnie Fieg giving us a detailed look via Instagram Stories. Since, Aimé Leon Dore has shared official photos of the collaboration.
The sneaker is a New Balance 997 Made in USA, drawing heavily on ’90s nostalgia. The typography and color palette of the “The Intelligent Choice” promo campaign is reminiscent of film posters for movies Home Alone and K9. The image references a 2010 New Balance "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" campaign, which was itself resurrected for a 2017 retro T-shirt.
There are two colorways of the sneaker, with different color-blocking on the tongue and heel. The muted gray upper stays the same on both versions.
To complement the 997s, Aimé Leon Dore and New Balance have cooked up a coinciding collection of apparel and accessories, including deep pile fleece cardigans and crewnecks, french terry hoodies, T-shirts, and running shorts.
Both the sneakers and the apparel are scheduled to launch this Friday, April 12, in-store and online at Aimé Leon Dore at 11 a.m. EST. One colorway of the 997s will then release at select retailers worldwide on April 19.
To stay updated on everything happening in the sneaker world, follow @Highsnobietysneakers on Instagram, check our sneaker release date calendar, and subscribe to our sneaker chatbot on Facebook to receive lightning quick updates to your inbox.