First of all I apologise for how long this post has been,
presumably because nothing too interesting has been happening recently, but
through my news updates on my phone I discovered 2 rather interesting New
Balance updates. First of all I’d like to discuss how socio-economic factors affect the fashion industry and in particular its niche markets like streetwear and high fashion. During time of depression people “feel the squeeze” a little more (just to note I hate using such cliché phrases but it’s early and I’m a writer, not an economist). As a result brands, especially streetwear, tend to tone down their designs as they want to be more appealing and cannot physically afford to take risks in term of “out there” designs.
This is what I assume to be the reason for the increase in high street popularity of New Balance they fitted this definition perfectly: not too out there, not too expensive and being a floor-drobe “staple” shoe of sneaker heads, fiends and pimps alike certainly didn’t hinder NB’s position during the hype over streetwear of the last 2 years, along with having a “made in England” appeal during Britain’s most patriotic year. No one could be blamed for thinking they are possible the luckiest brand of the decade.
If you’ve read my previous articles you’ll be no stranger to collaborations, and presumably know they excite people. I am guilty of this especially with shoes I would pay a lot more money than I’d like to admit on a pair of ‘Size? X Dave White x Nike air stabs’... Wait size? ...A trainer or tee being exclusive to a retailer makes it that little bit more exciting more desirable this is no different for my reaction to the Size? X Staple X New Balance “black pigeon” but I couldn’t help but take it with a pinch of salt. This announcement came in the same week as the New Balance Infra red announcement, that magical Colourway that gets sneaker reds and collectors sweating from the brow and their fingers ready for some serious F5 mashing on day of release.
So I hear you ask “what’s the issue?” Well these two announcements make me thing that new balance are using the funding from their new fan base, whether its people discovering them through streetwear or people buying them because their local FootAsylum have them stocked next to their favourite chinos and generic as fuck tee shirts with SWAG written over photos of models the company don’t even own the rights to, they can afford to take the risks, at first I thought this was a prediction that would not come true but another announcement came the “New Balance Spring 2013 M890v3 Rainbow Colourway” Just Google that one...
It also worries me that both the infrared CW and Staple design collaboration are two of my favourite Air Max 90 designs, I fear this trend may continue and i really don’t want sneakers to fall into the “homogenous cesspool” Matt Irving talks about (as referenced in “the Article”).
(Size? x Staple Design x New Balance Black Pidgeon 577, New Balnce 574 Infrared, Nike x Staple Design Air Max 90 navigation 2004, Nike Air Max 90 Infrared)
This is what I assume to be the reason for the increase in high street popularity of New Balance they fitted this definition perfectly: not too out there, not too expensive and being a floor-drobe “staple” shoe of sneaker heads, fiends and pimps alike certainly didn’t hinder NB’s position during the hype over streetwear of the last 2 years, along with having a “made in England” appeal during Britain’s most patriotic year. No one could be blamed for thinking they are possible the luckiest brand of the decade.
If you’ve read my previous articles you’ll be no stranger to collaborations, and presumably know they excite people. I am guilty of this especially with shoes I would pay a lot more money than I’d like to admit on a pair of ‘Size? X Dave White x Nike air stabs’... Wait size? ...A trainer or tee being exclusive to a retailer makes it that little bit more exciting more desirable this is no different for my reaction to the Size? X Staple X New Balance “black pigeon” but I couldn’t help but take it with a pinch of salt. This announcement came in the same week as the New Balance Infra red announcement, that magical Colourway that gets sneaker reds and collectors sweating from the brow and their fingers ready for some serious F5 mashing on day of release.
So I hear you ask “what’s the issue?” Well these two announcements make me thing that new balance are using the funding from their new fan base, whether its people discovering them through streetwear or people buying them because their local FootAsylum have them stocked next to their favourite chinos and generic as fuck tee shirts with SWAG written over photos of models the company don’t even own the rights to, they can afford to take the risks, at first I thought this was a prediction that would not come true but another announcement came the “New Balance Spring 2013 M890v3 Rainbow Colourway” Just Google that one...
It also worries me that both the infrared CW and Staple design collaboration are two of my favourite Air Max 90 designs, I fear this trend may continue and i really don’t want sneakers to fall into the “homogenous cesspool” Matt Irving talks about (as referenced in “the Article”).
(Size? x Staple Design x New Balance Black Pidgeon 577, New Balnce 574 Infrared, Nike x Staple Design Air Max 90 navigation 2004, Nike Air Max 90 Infrared)
