Coming off a string of impressive yearly outputs, New Balance was back at it in 2014 with a solid mix of inline and collaborative offerings across a variety of models. In addition to some familiar favorites, we were also treated to some forgotten gems from the archives and a fresh batch of creative partners. Continue ahead to see which shoes cracked our Top 10 list and keep an eye out for more from the Urlfreeze News 2014 Year in Review in the coming days.
(10) – MITA x SBTG x NEW BALANCE MT580
Customizer extraordinaire, SBTG, teamed up with frequent New Balance collaborator, Mita, for an interesting take on the MT580 featuring camo accents and specially branded tongue labels and insoles.
(9) – BURN RUBBER x NEW BALANCE 572
Detroit shop, Burn Rubber, added to their New Balance collab resume, taking the road less traveled with their 572 hybrid model inspired by the ginger ale can of hometown beverage brand, Vernors.
(8) – RONNIE FIEG x NEW BALANCE 530
New Balance brought back yet another model from their archives with the 530, releasing in original and new colorways, as well as through some nice collaborative efforts like Ronnie Fieg’s premium “Central Park” edition featuring an unmistakably autumn color palette with a nice combination of quilted pigskin and perforated nubuck.
(7) – CAPSULE x NEW BALANCE MT580
Toronto-based shop, Capsule, fully embraced the infamous “Canadian Tuxedo” concept with their all blue denim makeup of the MT580, complete with a fittingly matched leather tongue label and gum outsole.
(6) – WEST NYC x NEW BALANCE 530
West NYC also got in on the fun with the re-introduced 530 model. Their interpretation opted for a decidedly 90s approach with bright accent colors and reflective panels popping in contrast to the clean off-white base.
(5) – NEW BALANCE P740 OG
While most New Balance devotees are in it for the runners, the brand reminded everyone of their past triumphs in the basketball category with the return of James Worthy’s 1985 signature model, the P740, in some super-clean OG colorways.
(4) – J. CREW x NEW BALANCE 998
J. Crew has been absolutely killing it with their New Balance collab releases for the past few years, but 2014 saw them raise the bar for desirability with the introduction of some amazing 998 colorways like the “Inferno” and “Independence Day” editions.
(3) – WINGS+HORNS x NEW BALANCE MT580
A new addition to the growing list of New Balance partners, lifestyle brand, Wings+Horns, proved to be more than up to the challenge with their lux edition of the beloved MT580 model, featuring a completely blacked-out upper comprised of a variety of premium materials.
(2) – SHOE GALLERY x NEW BALANCE MT580
Another fresh face on the NB collab scene, Miami shop, Shoe Gallery, turned a lot of heads with their RevLite edition of the MT580 sporting a vibrant South Beach-y color motif dubbed “Le Tour de Miami” and equipped with some choice materials and seamless construction methods.
(1) – CONCEPTS x NEW BALANCE 997
Compared to past years, 2014 didn’t offer as many high-profile collaborative releases as we’ve gotten used to, so it was left to NB collab veterans, Concepts, to provide the year’s biggest splash. In conjunction with the celebration around their NYC pop-up shop, they created the “Rosé” edition of the high-priced 997 model, featuring a pink suede upper and reflective 3M croc pattern accents. The shoe not only helped to build buzz around the renowned shop’s foray into the Big Apple, but also helped to popularize the recently relaunched 997 Pares across the board.
