Jack Harlow's Shoes Are Made For Walkin' (EXCLUSIVE)
What do Jack Harlow and one of the men credited for designing NYC's Central Park have in common? Great hats, for one (though Harlow's stands quite a bit taller). But, also: a New Balance sneaker. A snekaer fit for both the journeyman singer and an architect of exquisite parkscapes.
Harlow is always on the move, so his latest New Balance is, too. But though it's meant to move, it's really meant to relax. Harlow's take on the New Balance T500, a flat former tennis shoe, has nothing to do with tennis, actually. The inspiration? Public parks.
Ken Burns called national parks America's best idea — not least because it was an American invention — but for the sake of conversation, let's extend that to all parks. Because Harlow loves all parks. Who doesn't? And we can thank Frederick Law Olmsted for some of the best ones.
Along with Calvert Vaux, Olmsted shaped Central Park, perhaps the world's greatest green spaces — you know, 'cause it's situated right in the middle of the greatest city on the planet, baby, go Knicks, etc. Olmsted was also behind Prospect Park, one of Brooklyn's best parks, the unbelievable Mount Royal Park in Montreal, the U.S. Capitol Grounds, and many more. He didn't design any national parks but he is credited for laying the foundation for the system so, hey — America's best idea had to start somewhere.
Harlow brought that reference to his ongoing New Balance partnership without going quite so literal. His New Balance T500 "Olmsted" sneaker is not a conventional tramping shoe nor a recreation of something Olmsted himself wore. It is, instead, simply a handsome tennis-turned-walking shoe, meant to be worn on strolls to, fro, around, and in the spirit of parks in the spirit of New Balance's excellent Allerdale shoe (and the many great walking sneakers that've come before).
We spoke to Harlow about his latest New Balance shoe, which debuts in imagery exclusive to Highsnobiety (peep Harlow's Lauren Manoogian fit) prior to debuting IRL at a free popup in Harlow's native Louisville. Appropriately, it'll be held at Hogan's Fountain in Cherokee Park (on August 28 from 3pm), meaning shoe named for Olmsted will launch at a park he designed. Poetry.
What sparked your initial interest in Frederick Law Olmsted?
In my opinion, Louisville’s park system is one of my hometown's greatest assets. I spent a lot of my adolescence killing time with friends in Cherokee Park, a 400-acre space that intertwines with the Highlands neighborhood I grew up in. A lot of my early music videos were shot in the park.
I learned pretty early in life that Olmsted was the legend behind the design of Cherokee and several of the other major parks in the city (Shawnee, Iroquois, Central Park). He obviously became even more credible in my eyes once I learned he’s the same person that designed Central Park in New York City. I've been spending a lot of time in NYC the last couple years so that specific connection between the two cities felt more meaningful than ever.
Can you speak to the process that led you to reconsider the T500 as a daily shoe for strolling?
Once my career started to take off I found myself in the back of sprinter vans, on and off of flights. Spending time in NYC allowed me to get back in touch with my love for long walks. Going on walks has always been a big part of my life.
I was already a fan of the T500 as a model and I liked the idea of a walking shoe that isn’t completely sporty and still feels dressy enough to wear to something like a nice dinner.
Speaking of, let's get specific about the redesign. Like, what informed the use of "black coffee" leather, both from a material and color perspective?
I worked on the Olmsted with NB's design team, my creative director Kat, and my best friend Urban Wyatt. From the moment I started recording, the color brown felt very compatible with my new album, Monica. The sheen on the leather gives the shoe a subtle elevation that brought it home for me. A dark shoe like this is good for walks, the wear and tear is obviously less visible.
More than anything, it's rewarding to design a shoe that feels so closely aligned with everything else I've been working on this year. I like time-stamping whatever era I'm in, and this shoe does that for me artistically.
The moment that NB showed me the T500 I told them I was excited about it and wanted to help power it up with them. It's subtle and understated, and the last couple years I've been experimenting with dressier, less sporty looks. The T500 arrived for me at the perfect time.
As a flat tennis shoe, the T500 is an interesting daily driver. It feels like the exact opposite of the chunky runners that've become synonymous with the act of all-day walking.
I've been enjoying slimmer shoes as of late. Sometimes a shoe just needs to disappear and compliment the silhouette instead of calling attention to itself.
No better place to disappear than a city. Wrapping up, what's your perfect day?
Walk to the bookstore. See a movie. Go somewhere for dinner. Long walk home.
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