For his latest 574V2 with New Balance, Todd Snyder created an extremely limited-edition sneaker called the “Stony Beach” that blends vachetta and ivory leather with three different types of suede to evoke the sand, surf, rocks and overall feeling of an overcast fall day at the coast. Rounding out the brown and white design scheme is a clay-colored sole reminiscent of the red cobblestone paths one encounters in a beach town.
The silhouette of the sneaker is the 57/40, New Balance’s recent homage to their classic 574. Originally designed in 1988 as an experiment combining a road and trail running shoe, the 574 started as a go-anywhere runner and went on to become the brand’s first true, go-anywhere sneaker, comfortable enough for hanging out yet technologically-sound enough for a run. The light brown and off-white palette is a mash-up of vegetable-tanned, natural-looking leather plus hairy suede, clean suede, and perforated suede. These are materials that will be familiar to collector’s of Todd’s earlier collabs with New Balance.
“We had seen great success with both our New Balance ‘Pale Ale’ and ‘Dark Ale’ sneaker 574V2s, and when we started thinking about a aluminum installment in this hoppy trilogy, my mind wandered to that special feeling of being out on Eastern Long Island after the summer season has long passed,” says Snyder.