A Forgotten New Balance Deep Cut, Beautified by AURALEE
AURALEE has made wearable art out of classic New Balance dad shoes, turned court classics into luxury suede footwear, and added an air of sophistication to NB’s warped running sneaker. Its latest move is digging out a New Balance deep cut from relative obscurity.
The New Balance 475, a late ‘80s all-terrain model, is being given the signature AURALEE update.
Arriving in two familiar color treatments, the collaborative 475’s greyscale variation is reminiscent of the Japanese label’s previous 990v4 creation while its yellow counterpart — a deliciously pale lemon creation — brings back memories of the AURALEE 2002r.
First unveiled during the AURALEE's Spring/Summer 2025 show at Paris Fashion Week, the shoe is now arriving, available worldwide from May 16.
Premium suede, minimal branding, calculated color combinations… it’s all the stuff we’ve come to expect from AURALEE’s consistently brilliant New Balance collaborations. The only difference is this time around, it’s found a new canvas for its footwear elevation.
The 475 is an old-school New Balance model near-identical to the more coveted 574, but there are some important distinctions. Most notably, the 475’s upper has a slightly different, slightly more elaborate series of suede overlays.
It might seem like I’m splitting hairs here, explaining the differences between two similarly shaped New Balance shoes from the same era. However, it’s not only AURALEE seeing the charm in the nuances of the 475’s construction.
The shoe is currently undergoing a mini-revival with sneaker-specializing retailer END. and preppy streetwear label Aimé Leon Dore also recently put their spin on the forgotten sneaker.
If history tells us anything, then it’s worth paying attention when Aimé Leon Dore and AURALEE are both co-signing a little-known New Balance. Just look at the virality they both helped to stir around the 550.
