New Balance is as famous for its sneaker silhouettes as it is for its colorways. While the brand has enough out-there palettes to rival the best of them, the true OG purists look no further than the navy or grey, and why would they?

It shows something about your design language when some of your best-selling products are dressed in the most simple palettes. At New Balance, it proves that what really matters is fabric quality, construction, and overall silhouette. There is no better example than the New Balance U992 Made in USA.

Although New Balance’s grey colorway would probably come out on top of any polls regarding signature palettes, navy has always been lurking in the background, sturdy and reliable, unchanged and thriving.

Luckily, after being discontinued from the line in 2010, the New Balance 992 returned to the Made in USA collection in 2020. We say luckily, because if it hadn’t, this iconic navy 992 wouldn’t have reached its prime ever again.

For the uninitiated, the New Balance Made in USA collection boasts a higher standard than general releases primarily in terms of material quality and artisanal construction.

Hitting shelves as part of the New Balance Made in USA Core Collection, the navy U992 acts as a crystallized example of everything that New Balance does well.

Supremely wearable, comfortable, and understated, this design is a transgenerational icon loved by grandads and fledgling sneakerheads alike. There really aren’t many more reliable kicks on the market.

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