New Balance has been eating under the trend of 2000s running shoes, but it’s latest appeal to the lifestyle sector looks back much further to a significant moment in the brand’s history.
The New Balance 471 is a brand-new everyday sneaker inspired by the 320, which launched in 1976 as the company’s first shoe to feature the “N” logo on the side. That mark is now a mainstay, of course, but the “fang” toe box shape is the defining feature getting a reintroduction. A classic arrangement for the upper sees mesh host suede overlays and an oversized leather “N” logo, and EVA midsole sits simply over a herringbone-patterned outsole. Also true to the era of its source material is an exposed foam tongue.
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“We knew we wanted to offer a shoe with a sleeker profile while maintaining our strong connection and history within the ’70s running space,” Joe Walsh, New Balance lead footwear designer, said in a press release. “I spent a lot of time researching vintage elements, pulling inspiration from New Balance heritage models, materials, colors, details and trims of the era. Even our choice to use materials like hairy suede overlays and woven mesh connects back to what was used in sneakers during that period of design. The result is a new shoe that offers a low-profile look and blends together unique vintage quirks with a distinct modern-day appeal.”
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Cameron Brink debuted the 471 last summer while sitting courtside at the Paris Olympics.
The 471 bears some resemblance in appearance and in spirit to the XC-72, another retro inspired lifestyle sneaker that had its run earlier in the decade, albeit with a more modest profile. It also has kin in the 327, which came a year prior to the XC-72 and was also introduced through a Casablanca collaboration.
The New Balance 471 will release March 26 through New Balance’s website and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $110.
