Home / Style / Sneakers

New Balance Turns a Legendary Dad Shoe into a Masterclass of Military Style

The company teams up with a legendary Japanese streetwear label for a tactical makeover of an all-time classic.

Close-up of a black New Balance sneaker with textured fabric and leather panels and black laces.New Balance
Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

By Jack Seemer

Published

·

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

New Balance’s ties to the US military go back years.

The company has supplied sneakers to the Navy and Marine Corps since at least 1998. It even manufactured a one-off version of the Leadville 1210, called the 950v2, that never made its way into the public-facing catalog.

Instead, the new Made in USA 1300, released in collaboration with Japanese brand WTAPS, is about as close as the rest of us may get.

Pair of black New Balance sneakers with mesh and leather upper, white heel tab, and black ENCAP sole.
Made in collaboration with Japanese brand WTAPS, the latest Made in USA sneaker is a stealthy version of the 1300.
New Balance

In the black

Like all models that carry the company’s MiUSA designation, a majority of the materials hail from domestic suppliers, with manufacturing happening in one of five of its New England-based factories.

Black New Balance sneaker with mesh and leather upper and white heel tab, shown in side profile.
Like all MiUSA New Balance sneakers, this model features materials sourced mainly from domestic suppliers.
New Balance

The shoe also features higher-end leather compared to the company’s other offerings, which takes on a matte-black finish for a “tactical look” in line with the “utilitarian and military-inspired aesthetic of WTAPS,” New Balance says.

Pair of black New Balance Classic 1300 sneakers with mesh and leather uppers, viewed from above.
Black laces and tonal accents complete the stealthy makeover.
New Balance

Founded by Tetsu Nishiyama in the late ’90s, WTAPS is renowned overseas for its military-coded streetwear, blending pared-back colorways with heritage styles such as the M-65.

Here, the brand couldn’t have chosen a more deserving silhouette. The 1300 is one of New Balance’s most revered models to date, designed by none other than Steven Smith of Reebok Instapump Fury and Yeezy Foam Runner fame.

Pair of black sneakers with white heel tabs featuring "WTAPS" branding, shown from the back.
The shoes features WTAPS cobranding on a white heel panel.
New Balance

Beyond the tonal black upper, a white heel panel with WTAPS cobrandings brings a subtle contrasting element to the otherwise stealthy colorway.

Meanwhile, the Encap midsole and rubber tread outsole stay true to the original 1300 from the 1980s.

Close-up of the black New Balance sneaker heel with white heel tab and ENCAP midsole technology logo.
Though outdated by today’s standards, Encap remains a reliable form of everyday cushioning.
New Balance
Black rubber outsole of a New Balance shoe with deep treads and "XR-1000" branding.
The tread pattern stays true to the first 1300 from 1984.
New Balance

Availability and pricing

The WTAPS x New Balance Made in USA 1300 will be available starting February 20 from New Balance’s official website. It costs $295, indicative of its MiUSA pedigree.

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.

Read More

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

add as a preferred source on google