The New Balance 550 came into the sneaker world with a bang. Well, the second time around, that is. Originally hitting shelves in 1989, the New Balance 550 was essentially forgotten about for the best part of 30 years. Until 2020, when Aimé Leon Dore founder — and now New Balance Creative Director — Teddy Santis resurrected the underrated silhouette.
Underrated at the time. By that, we mean that the New Balance 550 has gone from zero to hero in just over a year. Since its first resurgence as a collaboration pack with Aimé Leon Dore, New Balance 550 collaborations with names like Auralee and Rich Paul have been the turbo boost that this silhouette needed to hit the peak of its popularity.
That’s not the whole story, though. A wealth of fire New Balance 550 general release silhouettes offer a kinder entry point for those looking to bring a retro protagonist into their rotation.
But since the 550 has been so popular, there have been many drops to keep up with. To make things easier, we’ve rounded up 14 of the best New Balance 550s to buy below.
Shop the best New Balance 550 colorways below.
New Balance General Release Colorways
Black Gum
550
New Balance
This general-release colorway sees New Balance leaning into the retro style of the 550. A faded black upper combines with a gum outsole for big preworn vintage vibes.
Black
BB550
New Balance
99 percent of New Balance 550s rely on a clean white backdrop to set the foundations for their color scheme. This pair flips the script with a black leather base to the upper.
Maroon
550
New Balance
As is the case with most retro basketball kicks, the 550 really suits varsity-style colorways like this maroon and white iteration.
Multi
550
New Balance
But, while the 550 certainly does suit its varsity colorways, this multicolor version proves there's more in this versatile silhouette's locker.
Grey
550
New Balance
If the last one was too bold for you, here's the antidote: cool, calm, and collected.
Grey
BB550SLB
New Balance
There's no so thing as too much grey when it's done right, and New Balance definitely got these right.
White
BB550
New Balance
You can never go wrong with the basics and this White 550 is an absolute staple in the rotation. With its gum outsole, it's as versatile as kicks come.
Green/Yellow
BB550PWC
New Balance
These 550's offer a slightly wider spectrum in terms of color, perfect if you want to make your sneakers the focal point of your fit.
Team Red
550
New Balance
550
New Balance
New Balance released the Team Red and Royal Blue colorways of the 550 a while back and has just re-upped the stock. Get 'em quick, they're a fan favorite.
Black
BB550BBB
New Balance
If you really want to take things up (or down) a notch then a pair of monochrome 550s should do the trick.
Natural Indigo
BB550
New Balance
Raw denim heads will have no issues with their denim bleeding onto their kicks here. The upper of this pair is dyed using natural indigo for a beautiful washed finish.
UNC
550
New Balance
Many of the greatest sneaker colorways of all time have been homages to universities across America. One such colorway is the UNC which features the college's distinctive light blue hue against a white backdrop.
New Balance 550 Collaborations
Aimé Leon Dore Brown
Aimé Leon Dore 550
New Balance
There's no secret that ALD is one of the biggest supporters of the 550 but the fact that there are so many collaborative releases of the silhouette mean that some slip under the radar. This brown version is up there with our favorites yet it's very rare to see in the wild.
Aimé Leon Dore Silver
550
New Balance
Aimé Leon Dore can be credited with bringing the 550 back to life, so it's only natural that most of our favorite New Balance 550 collaborations come from the New York label.
Rich Paul
550
New Balance
Rich Paul is the agent to some of America's greatest athletes and, since December 2021, the namesake of one of the best New Balance 550 colorways around. A neutral off-white base leaves room for grained leather to shine.
Aimé Leon Dore Natural Green
550
New Balance
Many will tell you that this is the colorway that started it all. We'd agree. If you're looking to cop a future icon then this is a safe bet.
Auralee
550
New Balance
Did we save the best till last? That's for the people to decide, but we're definitely not saying no. Japanese label Auralee put its wildly subtle spin on the 550 last year and it's yet to be beaten on outright versatility.
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