New Balance and the new 990v5: the evolution of an icon

The 990 series was a cultural revolution, worn by ordinary people like the famous "dads in Ohio" to those men who've changed the course of history forever - Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs used to wear always a pair of 990s. It was Jobs himself who traced the 990 evolutionary paths: he personally wrote a letter to New Balance president Jim Davis, asking for a "sportier and more trendy" shoe than the leather shoes he used to wear, those words formed the basis on which the designers built the series.

They have intercepted all sorts of social classes indistinctly - from models to dads, from sneaker enthusiasts to nerds; but the incredible popularity of the shoe comes from the street: in 1982, the year in which the first model of the 99x series was launched, the New Balance 990, Nike Air Force 1 was also introduced to the market, which immediately had a huge success and this is why the boys who "frequented" the street wanted something different to wear and the 990 responded perfectly to their request. It was, in fact, the first athletic sneaker to exceed $ 100 so you had to be "special" to have them and above all, you had to have the money to afford them; you had to be cool to wear them.
The price was this high because New Balance used materials of the highest level, more advanced technology and above all, a workforce MADE IN USA and MADE IN UK, all reasons that continue to be the hallmark of the company even today.

The story of the 990 series started a long time ago: we are in 1982 and the company founded in Boston in 1906 distorts the market with a sneaker that will revolutionize the identity of the brand, the New Balance 990. 

To its detractors, the 990 responded with 37 years of life and such powerful aesthetic that, as the brilliant campaign of the last model of the 99x family, the 990v5 says - that will be released exclusively for Italy by Slam Jam Saturday, May 4th - "Worn by supermodels in Milan and dads in Ohio".
That aesthetic has never changed, it has remained the same and it is this legacy that is the strength and the cross success of the 99x series: an icon that has evolved over the years always maintaining its own identity without ever betraying itself.

Among the many things that have never changed in almost 40 years is the colour scheme in grey, for example, continues to be a trademark of the brand, it is not "just a gray shoe"!

A perfect match between old and new, between tradition and innovation, New Balance produces shoes like 30 years ago, based on MADE IN USA manufacturing.

The various evolutions of the series in 1998 (v2), 2012 (v3) 2016 (v4) and now in 2019 (v5) have become over the years a symbol of normcore, the normality that becomes a trend and that has dictated and continues to dictate the trends of high fashion. New Balance is extremely aware of what it represents on a social level and not only of the 99X series and the choice to focus on versatility for the launch campaign of the New Balance 990v5 is by no means casual. A sort of overturning of a minimalism born out of comfort and simplicity that distorts the rules of coolness and fashion, there are very few companies that can afford a similar campaign but New Balance has surfed - and continues to do so in an increasingly strong way - on the wave of street culture and the concept of normcore now become the epitome of cool. 

The first to wear the New Balance 990v5 was one of the best players of the NBA, Kawhi Leonard, under contract with the Boston company, which in some ways perfectly embodies the concept of normcore: his apparently simple style, without frills, in the field, is extremely effective, explains perfectly the concept.

Real icon for 3 decades, today the New Balance 990v5 aims to become a new classic for all the sneaker enthusiasts. The latest addition to the 990 series retains many of the elements of the previous version (990v4) but is enhanced by the TPU insert on the upper to ensure greater stability to the instep and the new Ortholite sole.
Once again tradition, technology, research and attention to detail are the hallmark of New Balance. 

To celebrate the release of the 990v5, the silhouette will be added to NB1 - the platform that allows anyone to customize their New Balance online and the launch of the NB1 program will be held on June 14th.

The New Balance 990 v 5 will be available for both men and women in gray, blue and black colors starting May 4th, 2019 exclusively at Slam Jam for €200.