New Balance’s All-New Dad Shoe Is Brilliantly Flat & Majorly Textured
While it might look like a classic running shoe born in the 1970s, the New Balance 471 is anything but. This retro-infused, slim-shaped shoe is all new for 2025.
The New Balance 471 is a low-profile trainer built on New Balance’s 320 model, a breakthrough running shoe when it was launched in 1976. But while the 320 has a sharp, pointed toe and streamlined suede overlays, the 471 is slightly more bulky in shape.
And the 471 features a lot more suede.
The latest release of the sneaker wraps the upper entirely in hairy suede of soft beige hues. It’s a textural hairy suede treat akin to a previous New Balance x AURALEE collaboration we described as a “work of art.”
A raw-edge tongue, leather branding, and a gum sole tie everything together on this tasteful New Balance 471.
The 471’s introduction has been slow and strategic from New Balance. A runway debut to set the tone, presenting a yet-to-be-released Junya Watanabe collaboration, then the “Arid Stone” drop for New Balance’s vast Grey Day celebrations marked the shoe’s official launch, presenting a blend of crisp nylon and hairy suede overlays.
Now, New Balance is taking this debutant sneaker to new places. Available for $99 on New Balance’s website, the 471's new suede iteration makes a gloriously hairy statement out of the vintage-infused design.
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