To the majority of its fans, Aimé Leon Dore is best known as a purveyor of collaborative New Balance sneakers. Certainly, there's something to be said about ALD's well-shot and styled lookbooks, the approachable clothes, and the clubby vibes of in-house Café Leon Dore, but ALD really lures in customers with its covetable NB collaborations.
But, despite the plethora of Aimé Leon Dore coverage across the internet, there's one ALD New Balance sneaker that kinda feel through the cracks.
We're talking about Aimé Leon Dore's New Balance TWO WXY v3 collaboration, a shoe so rare that hardly any pairs have ever surfaced for sale.
The reason for the season is Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets, who recently wore the world's rarest ALD sneaker in a June 1 NBA playoffs game against the Miami Heat.
Therein, Murray flexed the Aimé Leon Dore New Balance TWO WXY v3 on-feet as the point guard helped his team defend an 11-point lead to win.
Obviously, the Aimé Leon Dore New Balance TWO WXY v3 is partially so rare because it's nowhere near as desirable as the ALD NB 550s.
The ALD NB 550 is unquestionably the brand's crown jewel, topping every Aimé Leon Dore search result and spurring a slew of sell-out sneaker drops over the past few months alone. There's also been hyped moments around ALD's recent 1906, 860 and 650 sneaker collabs, which certainly don't hurt.
Meanwhile, as a basketball sneaker, the ALD NB TWO WXY v3 is inherently less appealing by way of its specificity. They aren't as versatile as the 550 nor are they nearly as visually appealing, though this is certainly one of the stronger NB TWO WXY v3 colorways.
Aimé Leon Dore quietly unveiled its New Balance TWO WXY v3 sneakers in 2022 when announcing ALD and NB's partnership with the gym at Masaryk Towers.
Originally refurbished by Nike back in 2012, the Masaryk community gym represents a rarity in an ever-gentrifying city. It's housed within Masaryk Towers, one of New York's few remaining residential spaces operating under the rent-subsidizing Mitchell-Lama program.
"Generations of families have prospered in these buildings and the desire to remain is the utmost," explains an article documenting Masaryk Towers and its residents. "Masaryk Towers embodies the kind of community that is becoming extinct throughout Manhattan and the outer boroughs of New York City."
"Community" — a phrase core to the ALD ethos, hence the decision for ALD and NB to partner with the Masaryk gym.
When the project launched in April 2022, Aimé Leon Dore and New Balance donated pairs of the ALD NB TWO WXY v3 to the local Amateur Athletic Union, which in turn outfitted its basketball teams in the gear. The ALD NB TWO WXY v3 were never made available for sale
Does that make them more desirable? Perhaps, perhaps not. Does that make them the rarest Aimé Leon Dore New Balances ever made? Absolutely.
