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New Balance Polishes Up an Archival Sneaker For Elevated Daily Wear

The T500 gets a black tie makeover.

Close-up of a black New Balance sneaker with white laces, a white "N" logo, and a gum sole against a blue background.Todd Snyder
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By Brad Lanphear

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If Todd Snyder has a superpower, it’s presenting traditionally formal or “dressy” elements in an approachable, casual way, thereby elevating the appearance of everyday menswear.

The designer’s reimagining of a classic New Balance sneaker, originally designed to maximize performance on the tennis court in 1982, with details borrowed from black tie footwear, encapsulates that skill.

Pair of black New Balance sneakers with white laces and logo, gum rubber sole, and mixed suede and patent leather upper.
The T500 debuted in 1982 as a sneaker designed specifically for tennis.
Todd Snyder

New Balance is best known for running shoes, but its footwear design expertise covers a wide range of sports. The T500 was designed specifically for hard-court tennis, with a layered upper much like 1980s basketball shoes.

It’s the outsole that made the design purpose-built for the quick lateral movements required by the sport. A special grip track runs along the outer edge of the sole and curves slightly upward, allowing the wearer to plant firmly on the edges of their feet to move side-to-side.

Pair of black and white New Balance sneakers with gum soles on a wooden floor.
Todd Snyder’s exclusive T500 features patent leather panels over a rich suede base with pebble grain leather accents.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

Todd Snyder’s exclusive version sticks to the original T500 blueprint, with the niche outsole presented in an appealing gum color, sewn to the upper with color-matched stitching.

The upper comes in two color options, both made from the same materials. The black comes as close to a “black tie sneaker” as you’ll ever see from New Balance, and is actually called Black Tie.

Tan and beige New Balance sneaker with white laces on a patterned brown rug.
The other color available in Todd Snyder’s exclusive T500 is Khaki.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

The other option is called Khaki, and while I wouldn’t recommend wearing it with a tuxedo, it’s an elevated everyday sneaker with much more flavor than a generic all-leather sneaker.

I’m so shiny

Things get fancy up top, where the original sporty, performance materials are replaced with a trio of refined leathers. The standout detail, which literally caught my eye from 10 feet away inside Todd Snyder’s Madison Square Park boutique, is the patent leather panels.

Pair of black and beige New Balance sneakers with textured beige laces and gum soles.
The tongue and “N” patch are made from white pebble grain leather.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

The high-gloss hide frames the toe box, dashes across the vamp, holds the heel cup and accents the back lip of the collar with an embossed lowercase New Balance wordmark.

Once I got the sneaker in hand and on foot, I was actually more impressed by the pebble grain leather used for the tongue and “N” patch. It is white on both models and creates an appealing contrast of color and texture.

Anchoring the whole package is a buttery-soft suede beneath the patent-leather panels. It is on full display on top of the toe box.

Pair of beige New Balance sneakers shown from the back with embossed branding on the heel tab and gum soles.
New Balance’s lowercase wordmark is embossed on the collar panel.
Todd Snyder

Both models are lined in soft leather that matches the upper, complete with a padded collar. The same padded insole offered on previous tennis-ready models remains in place, providing all-day support and cushioning.

Availability and pricing

The Todd Snyder & New Balance T500 is offered exclusively by Todd Snyder, in-store and online, for $120.

This isn’t explicitly a limited edition, but Todd Snyder’s exclusive New Balance designs have a track record of selling out pretty quickly, so I recommend moving fast if you like this one.

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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