Did you ever think New Balance would amass the hype we've witnessed for the brand over the last twelve months? Best of all that interest has been directed at purer NB makeups that make use of navy, grey and black rather than any unnecessary boldness. This is a brand that speaks with its silhouettes and quality rather than shouting to get into the spotlight. At present we're witnessing two booms — a market who are starving for old runners executed right and a gradually growing horde who are obsessed with Foamposites that bear an interstellar pattern on the upper, with no real interest in saving their pennies in the quest for that Penny-endorsed monster of a shoe. We're not saying that there's no crossover there, but we don't know if one tribe is a reaction to the other, or vice-versa. It's pretty heartening though, because folk snapping up classic New Balance has encouraged the brand to bring the 990 series over here beyond the 993. Maybe — with the J Crew 1400s causing a kerfuffle — we'll see the 1400 on these shores to at some point, but at present, you should be prepping the bank balance for lots of US-made 998s and 996s that are arriving at the end of the year - despite the hardcore athletic history of both shoes, they're a slow food movement compared to the fast food of retro basketball releases that cause queues.
