God-Tier New Balance Collabs Only Fueled District Vision's Rise
District Vision is most famous for its suave sunglasses, handmade in Japan like artisanal eyewear but tough enough for daily jogs. Perhaps District Vision ought to be more famous for its New Balance collaborations, though, considering that the Los Angeles sportswear label has failed to fumble a single limited-edition sneaker. More than that, these killer kicks have helped propel District Vision into the sportswear stratosphere.
Every District Vision New Balance is a remix of existing shoes, upgraded with elegant colors and materials that render high-tech runners brand-new. District Vision's New Balance 1080v15 is proof of concept, and a smart reflection of the Californian company's red-hot winning streak.
Because though the New Balance 1080v15 was already a handsome sneaker, further proof that function-first road runners are suddenly hitting stylish highs , District Vision did it one better.
This shoes, available now on District Vision's website and from New Balance on April 10, take a typical District Vision tact in two disparate tonal colorways, as earthy as ever and equally tasteful. But the tactile side of things is similarly considered, with District Vision citing "1990s running footwear" references for several subtle details.
New Balance's "N" logo is stitched to the side in a chunk of Clarino suede, a style of extra-tough artificial leather, that matches the reinforced toebox. And the sneaker's upper wears a layered mesh veil that subtly subverts from its overall heft without cutting into the necessaries, like a thick sole and sleek tongue.
If District Vision had merely cooked on the shoe alone, it'd still be winning. The only thing that its prior New Balance collaborations needed to succeed were the sublime sneakers at the heart of it all. However, District Vision delivered on two additional fronts.
The lush campaign shows the collaborative shoes on record-smashing runner Parker Valby, demonstrating that they're more than a pair of pretty faces. And District Vision prposes a Japan-made running glove and matching Takeyoshi Altitude Master shades with photochromic light-adapting lenses, creating a concise capsule of sporty accessories.
This is all demonstrative of what's made District Vision an upstart success: good stuff that's so good that it transcends its intended purpose (i.e. running gear). The New Balances are a distillation of District Vision's obviously good approach but there's so much more to it.
In an interview with Puck published earlier this week, the label's founders affirm that they've ridden a wave of genuine "enthusiasm" that's boosted "independent brands in the activewear space" past the sportswear giants. District Vision is cresting high enough on this wave of goodwill that it's planning to open its own flagship store in Los Angeles just ahead of summer.
This success is entirely of District Vision's own doing. But the New Balance cosigns definitely do not hurt.
