The world of sneakers is firmly in its slim era, a movement catalyzed by the over-saturation of chunky “dad” shoes and thick-soled bottoms. Trends typically navigate against the grain of the mainstream, which means the in just a short years (or months), we’ll be looking ahead to the next hot topic in footwear.
At the moment, however, brands are ready to launch these grounded, less bulkier models to market. Nike has been delivering with the Total 90 III, the off-pitch athletic shoe that has taken new life as a lifestyle darling. adidas has been ahead of that, riding high on the Samba machine for two years. Now, New Balance is ready to step into the fold with the 204L, a silhouette with running heritage that looks awfully similar to Miu Miu’s New Balance 530 collaborations from 2024.
As the new silhouette is prepared to hit retail soon (it’s already available in China), official images of a Mushroom/Arid Stone colorway further suggest that the call was coming from inside the house. Much like how the Italian fashion house dressed its 530 in a khaki/tan suede, New Balance mimics the look with the full-suede construction on the multi-layered upper. It’s low-to-to-ground follows suit with the same earthy tone, with a black rubber sitting beneath.
A US release date for the New Balance 204L hasn’t been revealed, but expect these soon with an MSRP around $130-140. Several colorways are confirmed as are collaborations with the usual circuit of creative partners.
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