New Balance's Strawberry Shortcake Dad Shoe Is the Sweetest Thing
New Balance is categorically good at crafting decadent sneakers — that much is clear. The ever-so-sweet New Balance 471 sneaker is the perfect example of NB's mastery of pastry-adjacent footwear, drawing major design cues from strawberry shortcake — the dessert, not the cartoon.
Or maybe both.
Look at it like this: The suede paneling at the shoe’s toe represents the spongy cake base, while the light pink midfoot acts as the sweet strawberry filling. Naturally, the laces represent whipped cream topping because New Balance leaves no stone unturned when it comes to a deliciously cohesive color scheme.
Available on the New Balance website for (about) $122, the 471 sneaker is one of the brand’s many recent flavorful explorations.
Just take a look at the cinnamon-dusted New Balance Allerdale or the creamy bisque 475. New Balance always gets busy when it comes to foodie footwear.
Even beyond the yum factor, New Balance's 471 sneaker has been carving out its own lane in the stylish dad shoe space since its release earlier this year.
In just a few short months, the NB 471 has taken on the best parts of a leather handbag, become a textural treat, and also undergone a nutty pecan makeover.
Even though it doesn't have the same street cred as more established dad shoes, like the 530 and the 997 sneaker, the 471 is still holding its own in these dad-shoe streets: food-related and otherwise.
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