Following the drop of the Highsnobiety x New Balance 577 yesterday, we take a deeper dive into what inspired renowned sneakerhead and designer, Hikmet Sugoer, to select the colors and materials he did for the project. In the video above, the Sonra founder outlines the concept behind the sneaker and gives some insight into the thought process that goes into designing a sneaker.
Highsnobiety’s latest project is part of New Balance's famed made-in-England range, which is produced in a factory in the village of Flimby, roughly a two hour drive north of Manchester, UK.
Churning out nearly 30,000 pairs of shoes on a weekly basis, the factory opened in 1982, and has since gained a global reputation for models like the 1500, 991, and 577. New Balance's Flimby-made runners are among the brand's most beloved, and that heritage is of integral importance for New Balance fans beyond the UK and around the world.
Joe Connolly, New Balance UK’s European lifestyle marketing manager, told Highsnobiety, “In a landscape where sneaker culture has become so fast moving, our made-in-UK offerings from Flimby have remained timeless, and that’s something we are immensely proud of. Over the years, Flimby has built a cult following in all corners of the globe and the community of people who appreciate Flimby, and the product made there remains as fiercely partisan as any football crowd.”
Sneaker collector and designer Hikmet Sugoer is intimately familiar with the Flimby factory, having not only visited but also designed several of his own New Balance sneakers, including the "Purple Devil" 576, the "Nazar Eye" 1500, and Highsnobiety's upcoming New Balance collaboration. Above, Sugoer walks us through how the idea of prime numbers informed the color blocking of Highsnobiety's made-in-UK New Balance 577.
The now sold out Highsnobiety x New Balance 577 dropped on September 4, via Highsnobiety.com/Shop.
