These New Balance Sneakers Are Giving Us the Blues (In a Good Way)
New Balance is turning the sneaker scene blue —indigo, to be exact.
For the 35th anniversary of the New Balance 1500, New Balance Made in Japan is releasing new limited-edition colorways of the techy ‘80s sneaker, including an indigo-soaked iteration that's as rich in hue as it is in legacy.
Indigo dyeing (aizome) has been a motif of Japanese design since the 12th century, and the New Balance 1500 is joining this esteemed lineage of indigo-hued apparel.
In fact, New Balance isn't the only sneaker brand paying homage to the time-honored tradition of aizome.
For their third collaboration, AIREI and ASICS honored Japan's rich history of indigo with limited-edition handmade sneakers that were almost more art than sneakers.
Only three pairs of the hand-dyed anniversary New Balance 1500 sneakers will be given away, and another pair will be kept on display in the New Balance Harajuku store. So, yeah, the indigo colorway is going to be quite hard to get ahold of.
But don't worry too much. The special-edition New Balance 1500 will also be available in a light grey colorway with blue and cream accents, so if you aren't one of the lucky three selected, there's still a chance you can get in on the New Balance 1500's birthday fun.
The Made in Japan New Balance 1500 sneakers are set to release in November, exclusively on New Balance's Japanese website for 79,200 yen or about $520. This is a bit pricier than the standard UK-made New Balance 1500, which retails for about $240, but can you really put a price on celebrations?
After all, a sneaker only turns 35 once, right?
