New Balance Gets a Brand-New Dad Shoe with Help from a Fan-Favorite Style Brand

After dozens of collaborative models with the footwear staple, Kith finally drops its very first original silhouette.

Green suede New Balance sneaker with ABZORB cushioning and "2011" embossed on the heel.

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By Ethan Brehm

Published 3 hours ago

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New Balance has been collaborating with Ronnie Fieg’s Kith almost since the New York-based style firm’s inception.

Spanning literally dozens of individual silhouettes, the tandem played a huge role in helping elevate New Balance from a brand that made performance runners and dad shoes into a downright streetwear icon.

However, until now, Ki t h has never put out a completely original New Balance nameplate.

Four pairs of New Balance sneakers in dark brown, red, green, and red with pink accents, displayed on a stone bench. — After years of collaborating on sneaker variants, Kith finally debuts its first-ever completely-original silhouette for New Balance.

Kith and tell

Kith is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and has already commemorated the occasion by revamping its loyalty program and dropping a special sneaker capsule with Asics earlier this year.

But now, for the pièce de résistance of the big 1-5, Kith has tapped none other than its most trusted companion for a brand-new shoe.

Green New Balance sneaker with suede and mesh panels, white midsole, and visible cushioning on a beige surface with green leaves. — The new sneaker is built on the 2002 chassis featuring a full-length Abzorb midsole.

Pair of red leather New Balance sneakers with yellow and black laces on a stone bench. — It was co-designed by Kith founder Ronnie Fieg and New Balance’s Sam Pearce.

Dubbed the 2011, which follows New Balance’s numeric naming convention and references Kith’s launch year, the sneaker is the result of two years of development. It was co-designed by Fieg and Sam Pearce, known for masterminding the 991v2 and resurrecting the 992. Now, the New Balance veteran can add another model to his résumé.

Make like a tree and shoe

Serving as a retro runner-inspired lifestyle shoe, the 2011 is built on the chassis architecture of the premium 2002, featuring full-length visible Abzorb cushioning. However, the multi-panel upper is completely built from scratch.

Dark brown New Balance sneaker with beige sole and visible cushioning, placed on a stone surface with green leaves in the background. — The 2011 drops in four colorways, including the Bark variant (shown), with tree ring-inspired topstitching.

Red New Balance sneaker with yellow and red laces and beige ABZORB sole on a stone surface. — The Bark and Redwood (shown) colorways take notes from the boot world with premium leather uppers and cord laces.

The shoe launches in four arboreal colorways: Bark, Redwood, Leaf and Sakura. Going for a monochromatic aesthetic, the first two (Bark and Redwood) use premium boot leather over canvas underlays. Topstitching takes its inspiration from tree rings, while the cord laces also borrow from the boot world.

Red and pink New Balance sneaker with suede and mesh upper on a stone ledge. — You also have the suede-based Leaf and Sakura (shown) variants, with more color-blocking compared to their monochromatic counterparts.

Green suede New Balance sneaker with beige sole and visible cushioning on a stone ledge. — The Leaf variant doubles down on the tree inspiration with a fully green color scheme.

On the other hand, the Leaf and Sakura variants showcase a range of tones within their base colors (green and red, respectively). The uppers are made of pigskin suede, sitting on top of premium micro-perforated panels underneath. Meanwhile, the laces are more traditional here, color-blocking the shell below.

Three of the colorways have khaki mudguards, save for the Sakura which has a matching red mudguard. Each variant comes with three additional lace options. 2011 engraving and Fieg’s personal stamp can be found at the heel.

Red New Balance sneaker with yellow and red laces and beige sole on a light surface with green leaves. — The Bark and Redwood variants will remain in-store exclusives, as their companions get an online drop on June 29.

Commemorative packaging for each style features watercolor illustrations of a young Ronnie Fieg “planting a seed that embodies Kith, watering it over the years and tending to its growth as it flourishes into a towering tree with many branches, flowers, and leaves.”

Availability and pricing

Priced at $200, the New Balance x Kith 2011 drops June 26 at Kith’s flagship store in West Hollywood at the new New Balance at Kith store on the lower level.

Online availability will open up June 29, but the Bark and Redwood colorways will continue to be in-store exclusives.

Red New Balance sneaker with yellow and red laces on a stone ledge with ivy shadows in the background.

New Balance x Kith 2011

$200 at Kith

About the Author: Ethan Brehm is an associate editor at Gear Patrol writing about footwear, watches, spirits, EDC and more. When he’s not shopping for his next G-Shock, he spends his time watching movies and planning a future road trip with his family. He firmly believes CDs sound better than vinyl.

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