Whenever New Balance adds a new silhouette to its roster, you can be guaranteed of two things: first that it’ll look the business, but secondly that it’ll sell out almost instantly, which was exactly the case with the WRPD Runner back in August.
However, for those still nursing the WRPD Runner-shaped sneaker space missing in their lives, we come bearing good news: New Balance’s waviest sneaker to date is returning for Fall/Winter 2023 in two bold new colorways.
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Arriving in vibrant green and blue concoctions, the WRPD Runner — which was originally debuted by way of an AURALEE collaboration during Paris Fashion Week — is a stark contrast to the first subtle colorway that debuted the shoe.
The sneaker, though, continues to push the boundaries of what a traditional New Balance lifestyle silhouette embodies, with a wavy design that distorts and warps the familiar. In fact, the WRPD Runner is a sneaker where lifestyle meets tech-utility with nontraditional lines sculpted and exaggerated to give it a modern look and feel.
Much of New Balance’s pull power over the past decade has been down to reworked retro styles like the 990 and 550. However, the WRPD Runner — in a similar vein to the popular NB 327 silhouette — is a totally new silhouette for 2023, although one that certainly has its fans.
That being said, the debut “Sea Salt” WRPD Runner was arguably a sneaker for the masses with its neutral colorway and subtle design notes, quite the opposite of the blue and green iterations.
New Balance, though, knows its onions when it comes to sneakers. So even if its new WRPD Runners, which land online October 18 ($140), are coming across a little strong, give them time, they’ll grow on you.
