New Balance 'Made In The UK' M1300s

This right here, is a slab of shoe history. In 1985 when it truly hit its stride the 1300 caused a few heart palpitations at the checkout, long before they ever hit the pavement. It retailed at $130/£100. Consider that now, a pricetag like that would be enough to make someone ponder purchase rather than impulse buy - 24 years ago it was largely unthinkable to be able to shell out that kind of loot for a runner just to rock down to the pub. The epitome of top-of-the-line performance, where now a shoe with those kind of athletic credentials would wilfully sacrifice form in favour of function, the 1300 still looks phenomenal. This was the New Balance flagship; the equivalent of a BMW 7 Series with every possible tweak and optional extra thrown in too. Talk to runners who didn't just pose when the jogging boom was at its height and they'll still wax lyrical about this model and how it was the definitive shoe for its intended purpose, and how the shoes of today can't compete. Trust us, we've had that conversation with some unlikely candidates for sneaker chatter.

ENCAP cushioning and PU foam dual density doesn't mean much now to us hipster doofuses, but this shoe is still very serious indeed. The US-made A.R.C. versions, with Alife's collective knowledge of what's really real, played on that high-end heritage and the silhouette's premium, aspirational side, aided by a nifty short video on the American factory's production process. The price tag reflected how they'd taken few short cuts, though the price was well below inflation rates since the 1300's debut. But being patriotic sorts, we're rooting for Flimby-made all the way, and as New Balance themselves are keen to reinforce, "Domestic manufacturing isn't a talking point - it's a strategy for producing superior products." Amen. These versions, using a nubuck and mesh mix in grey, olive or navy are timeless in their execution. Now the wacky colourways are long gone, these are more retrospective running done very, very right and set for a January 2010 release
Via Crooked Tongues

New Balance M670s for 2010

With significantly less exceptions than any rival brands, New Balance keep it consistent, season-after-season. We thought the tasteful rollout would burn out eventually, giving way to gaudy concepts, but it transpires that we were wrong, and with their triple threat of Flimby build quality, several silhouettes, and that undisputed performance heritage, Winter and Spring 2010 is going to be a big one, from staple shoes to some surprises in store. Seeing Pharell and Kanye repping for the 'N' in lowkey fashion despite having the world at their feet when it comes to promo sneakers has indicated to us that we underestimated their taste in shoes or that a stylist has sensed that we're off moonboots now. We're happy for New Balance - they kept it real during silly seasons of the past, and bringing the 670 in its original form back for 2006 was a good manoeuvre, when all around them were blinded by neon, pleather and limited numbers.

In 2009 it feels like the brand got the last laugh. Norse Projects, who've been tastefully self-assured in their brief shoe collaboration career thus far, put out a gloriously subdued version, blessed by a touch of spearmint. The 1984 runner succeeding late '70s legends like the 620 seemed to be favoured by grown-ups throughout our early years from its debut through to the late '80s. The 1300 had the bells and whistles, but these were significantly cheaper by comparison. Highly touted for managing to offer stability and support while remaining lightweight, where many more durable athletic pieces tended to pile on the pounds, it's a quiet shoe of some significance. January and March will see these new colourways dropping in duos, picking up where last year's nylon toed versions left off, but benefiting from glorious, glorious mesh on the toebox, tongue and collar. We're looking forward to these dropping.
Via Crooked Tongues