A Truly Grandiose Leather Skate Shoe (EXCLUSIVE)
The New Balance 770 is having a second lease of life. Once a long-forgotten ‘90s cross-trainer, the sneaker has been rediscovered by New Balance Numeric (NB’s skateboarding division) and is now a skate shoe.
Forget about sweaty HIIT classes, this has become a sneaker built for kickflips.
The 770’s new form was first unveiled earlier this year, appearing almost identical to the cross trainer it evolved from, dressed in a mix of pebbled leather underlays with rugged suede paneling.
The second iteration of the 770, the shoe's first-ever collaboration, is a vastly different sneaker proposition. And it's unveiled here through photos exclusively shared with Highsnobiety.
Skate label Grand Collection, which debuted the sneaker during a Paris runway show in August, has put a dressy spin on the cross-trainer turned skater.
“For NB and Grand, we’re both obsessed with shape, form, fabric, timelessness, but we’re also obsessed with true functionality,” said Ben Oleynik, Grand's founder, in a statement. “This shoe is the embodiment of all of these things. We wanted to showcase that in the most literal and elevated way possible: showing this sneaker can perfectly live on the runway and actually be skated in.”
Grand Collection’s approach to this sneaker is simple, in essence. The skate shoe gets an all-leather build with two monochrome color options: all-black or all-white. However, the aesthetic consequences of these updates are vast. What was before a sporty retro dad shoe now appears more like a serious semi-formal sneaker.
Though don’t be fooled by its looks, this is still a serious skate model with all the original New Balance Numeric bells and whistles.
Alongside collaborative apparel, including a plush velour tracksuit and a heavyweight cotton sweatsuit, these limited-edition 770 sneakers are available now from the New York label’s website.
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