Brand: New Balance
Model: 550
Price: $150
Release Date: October 18
Buy: Highsnobiety Shop and select New Balance retailers
Editor's Notes: Deservingly heralded as some of the past years' best sneakers, New Balance's slick 550 colorways really take the cake. Though the mid-top 650 variant is pretty spiffy, it's all about the low-top 550, which Highsnobiety has dubbed a worthy competitor to Nike's Air Force 1.
The latest 550 to take over our IG feeds is the very handsome monochrome pair seen below, realized with a white leather upper, matching midsole, grey outsole, and black accents. If those were whited-out, you'd have an even more appropriate AF1 counterpart.
It recalls the similarly toned 550 that dropped earlier this year, seen below. The outsole was a smidge less green and the tongue tag logo was different but it's basically the same shoe.
That original colorway is still reselling for a slight premium over retail which may seem like a small figure but, considering that it's an in-line release (no collaboration or direct celebrity co-sign), that's a pretty impressive feat
Plus, retailers just can't keep the 550 in stock — the sneaker flies off the shelves as soon as it hits stores and simple colorways like this monochrome pair are always in especially high demand.
Having arrived in several other handsome hues and killer Japanese collaborations the 550 is very much the shoe of the now.
The 550's relatively low profile keeps it distinct enough from the other classic chunky kicks and remixes from tastemakers like Aimé Leon Dore keeps us consistently aware of its new iterations.
Sure, it faces some competition as the most hyped New Balance model but the 550 has the versatility to go the distance, as proven by this super subtle white pair.
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