New Balance is ushering in the autumn equinox early with what can only be described as the quintessential dad shoe of the fall.

Dressed in plaid and dually laced, the 204L sneaker, a collab with London-based retailer size?, is a checkered-up sneaker that is basically Christian Girl Autumn, transmuted into an elderly dad shoe that has major Miu Miu energy.

The plaid upper is warm as is. Layer in swaths of New Balance's signature suede paneling, and the already fall-tinged sneaker transforms into the ultimate autumn stepper.

All that's missing is a pumpkin-infused beverage and a crunchy leaf or two. This 204L is basically an autumnal amuse-bouche, if you will.

Flirting with the start of fall in a very Miu Miu-esque way, New Balance's 204L sneaker wears the double-lace system that has taken the sneaker world by storm.

Unlike some of the inspired sneakers out there, though, NB has a leg or two to stand on when it comes to biting off Miu Miu's swag because, well, New Balance kind of invented that swag. Most of Miu Miu's most popular double-laced sneaker makes are collabs with New Balance, so the dad shoe maker basically has sartorial squatters' rights to the double-lace phenomenon.

Sure, New Balance has declared a preemptive end to summer, but with a sneaker that looks this good, is that such a bad thing?

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