A Chunky New Balance Dad Shoe Built Like an Racecar
Up There and New Balance link up again, taking the 991v2 and giving it a carbon-coded makeover. Not real carbon fiber, of course, but the look and attitude of it, which is often what people gravitate toward anyway. It is technical in spirit, not in material.
Up There remains one of Australia’s essential sneaker stores, a Melbourne institution with a long track record of thoughtful collaborations.
Its work with New Balance always lands because both brands share the same reference point. Early 2000s Made in England pairs shaped the “golden era” of collecting, the moment sneaker forums and eBay first connected the global community.
This new 991v2 taps directly into that era. Designed with NB’s Sam Pearce, the shoe mixes performance mesh with carbon-effect leather and full-grain overlays for a luxe and technical feel.
The white and cream midsole carries translucent SBS pods and heel caps, while the gum outsole gives it that classic UK-line grounding. Black and reflective silver anchor the palette, with flashes of Up There’s signature green on the tongue, heel, and outsole.
There are also a couple of subtle Australian nods. The heel is stitched with “+61,” the country’s international calling code, and the tongue flips the “Made In England” embroidery upside down, a small Up There trademark pointing back to their down-under home.
The 991v2 “Up There” arrives November 28 for $350 on New Balance’s website and through Up There. It wears the carbon look proudly, even if the material is simulated.
That’s the charm. Carbon fiber is a high-tech material used for Formula 1 cars, high-performance racing boats, and anything built to be fast and featherlight. People fell in love with the pattern long before they ever touched the real thing. This 991v2 taps into that mythology. The look, not the laminate, does the talking.
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