An Ode To My New Balances
The saying “I’m too poor to buy cheap shoes” is probably what drove me to buy my first pair of New Balances at the age of 16.
Up until then, all of my shoes had been from The Warehouse and Number One Shoes - cheap but breakable. I needed a shoe to see me through the years, but I didn’t want to partake in the rat race that was Nike v Adidas and Converse v Vans.
Humble and unassuming, a pair of light gray 530s sung out to me from the shelf of my local Sterling Sports. I loved the chunky-dad-shoe aesthetic and how they made my big feet look even bigger. New Balances are comfortable as hell - I’ve never had to break in a pair because they’ve been perfect from the get go. My collection now consists of 237s, 520s, 530s, 547s, and 550s.
My New Balances have seen me through a lot; bodycon dresses and skinny jeans, Peter Pan collars and the recent resurgence of Y2K fashion. I had to be talked out of wearing a pair under my sari for graduation.
I’m not a sneakerhead, nor will I ever be. I don't speak ‘shoe’. But my loyalty towards New Balance is unshakeable. Do you have a brand that has your unwavering life-long loyalty? What did they do to earn it?
In 2016, New Balance earned my loyalty because they weren’t considered ‘cool’ back then. I wore my New Balances for me, because they made me laugh and stopped me from taking myself too seriously.
Now in 2022: Jack Harlow is a New Balance ambassador, the 550s are trending, and their Aimé Leon Dore’s collab has streetwear enthusiasts drooling. Steven Smith, the “godfather of dad shoes” and the designer behind iconic NB silhouettes like the 547s and 1500s, has just been appointed the Head of Donda Industrial Design.
That’s the 20 year trend cycle for you; fashion is cyclical and trends come back around once every 20 years. New Balance’s name has been drawn again. My sneakers are back in vogue and that's a reality I’ll just have to deal with.
This Fashion Issue delves into sustainable consumption, slow fashion, op-shopping, dressing modestly, and how living in Wellington changes our personal styles, and so much more. Check out the lookbook (pg. 22-27) which explores Wellington fashion and celebrating local businesses.
In this week’s news section, we catch you up on what’s happened over the mid year break: Roe v Wade was devastatingly overturned, Paul Eagle started a dodgy campaign to run for mayor, Re-O Week finally happened, and new strains of Covid-19 have put more pressure on our health system. Most notably, Salient broke the news that our new Vice Chancellor-elect “was a white man - shock horror!” The good people of the internet were divided on whether his race and gender were important, and Kelly Mitchell breaks down why his appointment is a disappointment.
Hope Tri Two treats you well, e hoa mā! Stay warm, stay healthy, stay fashionable.