How did the New Balance Grey Days event in Milan go?

May 2024 was a very important month for New Balance: the brand celebrated the color grey, highlighting the tradition of the brand. For New Balance, grey is more than just a color; it is an expression of its DNA. In the 1980s, New Balance introduced the color grey with the idea of creating a running shoe of superior quality. From the start, the grey color, which made it stand out from its competitors, proved to be a distinctive feature that evoked the concrete and asphalt of road running. Immediately, people noticed that the grey running sneakers, which over the years have established themselves as lifestyle sneaker icons, were as unique as they were versatile. While the models have evolved over the years with increasingly advanced technologies and materials, grey continues to embody the spirit of New Balance in every form. In Milan, the Grey Days event, organized by nss magazine, took place on May 21st at the Antonioli store, where a community of loyal fans celebrated the iconic colorway amidst music and BrewDog beer.

In homage to the color grey, on May 10, the brand released a short film titled Grey Days, a tribute to New Balance's significant impact on the global sneaker culture. Grey Days comes to life in seven vignettes, each depicting a different aspect of the brand's history. The film, produced by American Haiku, was written in collaboration with creative directors Thom Glover and Daniel Wolfe, along with Elliott Power and cinematographer Norm Li, with retro 1960s animation skillfully created by Stray London; the photography was by Samuel Bradley. «The film celebrates not only what the color grey means to New Balance but also what it represents to the brand’s customers. For this reason, it portrays fans of the brand from different subcultures who have supported New Balance and the color grey for decades,» said Chris Davis, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Merchandising at New Balance. «Grey is also a ubiquitous color that appeals to London’s top models, dads in Ohio, and sneaker collectors in Tokyo. Grey is a color for everyone: it represents authenticity, versatility, and timeless style, bringing our heritage into the future.»