This week, one of the most exciting shoe designers of the current moment has revealed his latest collaboration project. That’s right, Salehe Bembury is linking up with New Balance for the fourth shoe collaboration that the duo have worked on, this time with a couple of weird and wonderful details.
Salehe Bembury is having an extremely busy 2021. He’s already launched collaborations with Crocs, Vans and even with Japanese automaker Lexus, and that’s before you talk about the work he’s done with New Balance this year. Not bad for a creative who only left their role as Vice President of Sneakers and Men’s Footwear at Versace in December.
This will be the second New Balance collaboration with Bembury this year, the first being the wildly popular New Balance 2002R “Water Be The Guide”. This time, Bembury has designed a neutrally toned grey suede expression of the classic New Balance 574.
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In contrast to the “Water Be The Guide” drop, this latest drop is comparatively subtle, shying away from the vibrant colours that turned so many heads. The upper part of the shoe is constructed from a combination of mesh and suede, complete with the nonnegotiable “N” across both flanks.
The chunky, pock-marked white foam base of the shoe is unlike anything we’ve quite seen from New Balance before, which also features a special cushioning element in the heel and the durable Abzorb SBS system. However, the most radical departure from the original New Balance 574 silhouette is a rubber spur that protrudes from the upper section of the heel. It’s unclear if the hollow rubber spur is purely an aesthetic touch, or if there is a more functional element to it.
There is currently no word from either New Balance or Salehe Bembury on a release date, pricing or even an official name for the sneaker, however, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the collaboration.
