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This Quiet New Balance Shoe Release Has Big Ugg and Birkenstock Energy

The brand’s answer to the Birkenstock Boston and Ugg Tasman soft launches overseas with everyday utility and an affordable price tag.

Close-up of the beige New Balance shoe sole and heel with textured tread and embossed logo.New Balance
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By Jack Seemer

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At home, New Balance is gearing up for its biggest Grey Days collection yet, promising a close to two-dozen remixes on sneakers new and old.

Abroad, through, it’s cooking up an affordable slip-on that channels the ever-popular Birkenstock Boston and Ugg Tasman.

Pair of gray suede slip-on shoes with thick rubber soles and adjustable straps.
The Rover arrives as New Balance’s answer to the Birkenstock Boston hype train.
New Balance
Top view of black New Balance slip-on shoes with visible logo on insoles and straps.
The shoe combines its thick midsole with a comfort-first suede midsole.
New Balance

Called the New Balance Rover, the model soft launches in Korea as an all-season mule combining a fuzzy suede upper with chunky sole.

As comfortable as it looks, though, a wraparound mudguard gives its indoor-outdoor fluidity, while a top strap gives wearers the option to dial in the fit depending their socks.

Close-up of a beige suede shoe toe with detailed stitching and a rubber sole.
A mudguard gives the Rover indoor-outdoor fluifity.
New Balance
Pair of tan slip-on shoes with fabric pull tabs at the back, shown from the rear.
The mudguard wraps around the entirety of the silhouette.
New Balance

The Rover isn’t New Balance’s first release to debut in Asia without promise of a domestic launch.

But fortunately, the brand has a track record giving fans what they want, going back to the first Made in USA 1300JP reissue of 1995.

In the case of that shoe, however, New Balance is careful to keep up demand with a five-year release cadence that makes the model rarer than a leap year.

Close-up of black New Balance shoe sole with textured tread and pull tab on heel.
The Rover comes in three colorways, black, tan and gray.
New Balance
Brown rubber shoe sole with textured grip pattern and a small embossed logo.
A matching outsole keeps the monochromatic look intact.
New Balance

For the sake of New Balance fans outside of South Korea, let’s hope the brand doesn’t wait that long to roll out the Rover to other markets.

Availability and pricing

Overseas, the Rovers costs 139,000 South Korean won (approximately $94). It comes in three colorways, including tan, black and, of course, New Balance gray.

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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