New Balance's vast selection of dad shoes just got dad-ier. The Boston-based sportswear company's trail-ready 610 sneaker finally got the Realtree camouflage makeover it's long been craving.
It's not even the wildest look for the 610 that we've witnessed this month alone — ahem, cow print, ahem — but Realtree camo may be the single pattern best suited for New Balance's elderly runner. This silhouette was already sitting pretty in Chunksville, population grandpa, but with their Realtree uppers, these sneakers are finally ready to hit the shelves at Bass Pro Shop.
Wearing an otherwise ordinary earth-toned colorway — including appreciable beige suede, panels of brown mesh, and a versatile black sole — New Balance's Realtree 610 is one Crimson Tide T-shirt and pair of floor-length Wranglers away from heading out to the bar for a round of cornhole, Natty Daddies included.
And yet, the camo-covered NB sneaker is tasteful enough to appeal the legions of young kids who've ironically appropriated Realtree and similar hunting-adjacent gear into their wardrobes. It works both ways, best of both worlds.
That's the power of New Balance's incredibly strong design language, which allows the venerable sportswear brand to dish both mass-market footwear and hyper-specific sneakerhead-y stuff with equal aplomb.
New Balance's Realtree 610 shoes are technically part of the Spring/Summer 2024 collection but they're already available at select stockists, like Duomo's website, for the relatively affordable price of $130.
Actually, that's a lot of money for an invisible shoe. Get it? Because camouflage makes normal things invisible? Haha yes, yes, comedy gold. In 2014.
But, in all seriousness, an impressive feat to make a delicate proposition — stylish camouflage sneaker — actually work. Surprising it took New Balance this long to join the Realtree footwear front but talk about putting your best foot forward!
