Levi’s is the quintessential all-American denim brand and all of its collaborations stay true to the blue. However, Levi's forthcoming New Balance sneaker collaboration de-emphasizes denim in favor of 1980s-style Day-Glo colors.
So, New Balance has handed over its chunky MT580 shoe for a Levi’s collab, as indicated by first looks on social media.
There's some denim on the toe vamp and along the heel of both Levi's x New Balance 580 shoe colorways — this is a collaboration with Levi’s, after all — but the remainder of the sneaker's upper is washed in a cool grey or beige suede, contrasted by a neon pink and blue New Balance logo that gives the sneaker a real '80s feel.
New Balance's MT580 sneaker silhouette has enjoyed a real renaissance in recent years thanks to a series of high-profile collaborations with brands like Stray Rats and Palace Skateboards.
Each partner gave the old-school NB dad shoe a modern, colorful makeover, doubling down on the 580's retro design. That’s not to say the 580's OG white colorway currently available on the New Balance website isn’t just as fly, but big, weird colors really make NB's 580 shine.
In their previous team-ups, New Balance and Levi’s joined forces on the ultimate BBQ shoe, combining dad jeans with a dad shoe to create a greyscale denim version of the 992 sneaker.
The pair also released a rugged take on New Balance's 1300 shoe that utilized rare selvedge from Cone Denim Mills' signature White Oak XX52 cotton.
Levi’s and New Balance’s 580 sneaker collab is reportedly dropping December 7, likely priced after $200 akin to other collaborative 580 shoes.
But, assuming it’s real, the shoe will be Levi’s and New Balance’s first shoe since 2021’s co-branded 990v3, which took a very literal approach to collaboration by placing a mix of suede and vintage denim atop the sneaker's upper.
Levi’s shoe game has leveled up in recent months thanks to its recent Crocs collab, creating some of the coolest clogs on the market.
Japanese label PROLETA RE ART even took the Levi’s x Crocs partnership to a new level by scrounging up old scraps from the Levi’s offices to create handmade, one-of-a-kind, grunge-y denim Crocs that were so in-demand that they could only be sold by raffle.
In comparison to those rugged DIY denim clogs, Levi’s and New Balance’s vivid 580 remix is an '80s-inspired dream shoe that breaks free from Levi's ordinary all-blue palette. Get the hairspray and Jazzercise tapes ready!
