New Balance's Thicc Suede Walking Shoe Is Elderly In All the Right Ways
New Balance's suede Allerdale sneakers were made for walking, and that's just what they'll do.
New Balance's Allerdale shoe, part of the sportswear label’s premium Made in UK label, is a full suede walking sneaker with a textured brown upper and dark chocolate outsole that looks simultaneously luxe and casual at the same time.
Now, New Balance is the undisputed king of dad shoes, and when you've been running the fatherly shoe game as long as New Balance has, you’d think that there’d be no need to pull inspo from some of the other dad shoe virtuosos out there. But if the Allerdale looks a little familiar, that's because it is essentially a more casual suede version of German shoemaker Mephisto's Match sneaker.
Like the Mephisto Match, New Balance's Allerdale sneaker is a walking shoe through and through. Peep that low collar and flat outsole, both perfect for leisurely strolls.
This version of the Allerdale sneaker in a chocolate and dark brown colorway, is one of three existing models. Though Mephisto’s Match comes in way more flavors, this is a classic Mephisto look. But the most interesting commonality is the high price point. New Balance's Allerdale sneaker, available on New Balance's website May 15, retails for $250, while the Mesphisto sneaker goes for $399.
The sneakers aren't the exact same price, but they are both pricey for walking shoes. Like New Balance’s 608v5 and 928v3 which retail for $80 and $156 respectively. The Allerdale is notably pricier but you can't really put a price on a good-looking gait now, can you?
New Balance's Allerdale is also decidedly more luxe thanks to its suede upper, which gives it some serious va-va-voom compared to other New Balance walking sneakers. Case in point? New Balance's pebbled leather Allerdale sneaker. Again, this suede iteration is not the first New Balance Allerdale sneaker. So, in a way, New Balance also kind of reheated its own nachos with this one. Yum.
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