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Following the Joe Freshgoods collab at the end of last year, New Balance is now revisiting the 990v4 once more, this time with the New Balance 990v4 “Arctic Grey.” Dropping as part of the Boston sportswear company's Spring 2024 line, it's another NB banger that plays to the brand's strengths. It's simple. It's cool. It doesn't try too hard.
When images of this shoe first leaked earlier this month, sneakerheads on Insta and TikTok were quick to assume that it was an upcoming JJJJound project (the cult moodboard-turned-global fashion label helmed by Justin Saunders). And it's a good guess: the colorblocking is very similar to the 990v3 “Brown” and the recent 2002R “Charcoal”. But in reality, it's just a very solid sneaker with no big names attached.
Working on top of a cool gray mesh base, the panels are overlaid with black nubuck and blue suede. The house “N” logo is stitched across the lateral and medial sidewalls in leather, and, rather than the classic flat laces that you'd find on other 990v4s, this drop is tied together with a pair of chunky rope ones, which give off a trail shoe-esque vibe.
Look below, and the midsole is pitch black. It's also infused with Encap cushioning tech, which is usually reserved for some of New Balance's greatest running shoes. Rounding off the design is an American flag on the tongue, just in case you didn't know that this was made in the US of A.
The New Balance 990v4 “Arctic Grey” is scheduled to release on March 28, and it'll be available via New Balance and select stockists for $210 a pop.
This story originally ran on British GQ with the title 'For a neutral sneaker, New Balance's 990v4 ‘Arctic Grey’ is pretty hot'