A sneaker that looks like it’s been through the ’90s
New Balance’s 990v7 is designed to look like it’s been around for decades—except it’s brand new.
The story
New Balance is releasing the 990v7 sneaker in November, with a $200 price tag, featuring a slimmer midsole, leather accents, and vintage-inspired details.
Source: wwd.com
Our reading
The 990v7’s midsole is described as ‘pre-yellowed,’ which is a fancy way of saying it’s been artificially aged. The idea is to make a new sneaker look like it’s been around for decades, as if the yellowing was a natural byproduct of time rather than a design choice. It’s like trying to make a new couch look like it’s been in your living room since the ’90s, just so you feel like you’re getting a deal on nostalgia.
There’s something oddly comforting about this. It suggests that even in a world of constant reinvention, people still want to believe in the authenticity of the past. And if you can’t have the real thing, you can at least have a sneaker that looks like it’s been through a few decades of wear and tear—without actually having to do the work.
The 990v7 is $200, which is not cheap, but it’s also not unreasonable for a sneaker that’s trying to be both a retro throwback and a modern statement. The only thing that’s really changed is the color of the midsole—except now it’s supposed to look like it’s been yellowing for years.