Especially In Metallic, New Balance Makes the Most of Miu Miu Flavor
A large part of what originally made the New Balance 204L sneaker look so similar to the brand’s previous Miu Miu collaboration was its beige suede fabric.
It’s an almost identical-looking material to that on the New Balance x Miu Miu 530 SL shoe. And when that fuzzy suede combines with a similarly flat-shaped retro runner, the Miu Miu resemblance is clear to see.
For its newest delivery of 204L sneakers, New Balance flips the script. This shoe ditches the suede and loses the beige color scheme, but it’s still Miu Miu-coded.
Two new New Balance 204L colorways are in the pipeline, both with white mesh underlays layered atop by silver metallic panels. There’s the option between light pistachio green or black hits of branding and detailing.
It all looks suspiciously similar to the $1,220 silver metallic New Balance 530s released at the beginning of this year. And which have since swiftly sold out.
Although, of course, the New Balance 204L comes at a far more affordable price tag, costing $109.99.
Who can blame New Balance for taking notes from its collaboration with a label that is seemingly always ranked as the world’s hottest brand? Especially when a whole host of other brands are also following NB x Miu Miu’s lead.
And to be clear, this isn’t a copy-and-paste situation. However, the sleek shape, thin soles, and '70s-running-shoe vibe of the 204L means it follows a similar recipe to what made the Miu Miu 530 SL collaboration so tasty.
After some seriously hairy variations and a clean “linen” colorway, the now mesh-covered 204L releases in Europe on September 9 via New Balance’s website. For those stateside, a wider release is expected to arrive shortly after.
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