1906

A premium running shoe

Throughout the 2000s, New Balance released a series of high-quality athletic shoes for runners of all levels. Supported by the brand’s suite of advanced technical features, they were highly regarded in fitness circles. One of the most popular was the premium 1906 running shoe, but despite being well-received among runners, this well-crafted silhouette was never really chosen as a lifestyle sneaker. However, this all changed in the 2020s as shifting fashion trends saw heritage New Balance sporting footwear make a surprising comeback.

An evolving fashion landscape

The New Balance 1906 first came out in 2009 as part of the popular 1000 series, which had been running successfully for over a decade at that point. Named for the year the company was founded, it featured Gel inserts below the forefoot and heel for excellent shock absorption and comfort, while its upper was made from a mix of breathable mesh and durable leather overlays. These features made it a great option for runners, but it wasn’t considered a fashionable sneaker, that is until over a decade later, when the fashion landscape was very different and heritage New Balance ‘dad shoes’, such as the 1906-influenced 2002, were suddenly being worn as casual everyday sneakers in line with the normcore trend.

An updated sole unit

Following the successful return of the 2002 in 2020, New Balance shifted focus to the 1906. The designers wanted to bring the classic model back, but better than before, so they altered its sole unit to resemble that of another recent retro design: the 860v2. Having already been added to the new 2002R, it was known to be a sturdy foundation and would be the perfect component to bolster the quality of the already incredible 1906. Its Acteva Lite midsole was made from a cutting-edge foam which was around 24% lighter than the brand’s standard foams of the time, providing lightweight comfort from heel to toe. N-ergy Gel cushioning supported the heel, adding shock absorption and bounce, alongside a series of segmented pods of superior ABZORB SBS foam for outstanding support. Powerful Ndurance rubber covered the complex tread patterns of the outsole to offer reliable traction, and a Stability Web shank delivered balance and support through the arch of the foot.

A classic upper

While this updated sole unit brought greater levels of support to the 1906, its upper remained largely the same so as to retain its fashionable Y2K esthetic. This meant that it was just as breathable and durable thanks to the underlayer of open-holed mesh and the arcing suede and leather overlays. Its famous TPU heel cage protected the back of the foot and contributed to the shoe’s excellent lockdown, which was further improved by the innovative N-lock lacing system on the sides. This clever design involved textile ribbons being passed through the signature N logos on each flank to secure the laces tightly around the midfoot, thus preventing it from slipping within the shoe during vigorous movement. Completing the look was a series of classic branding effects, including NB logos on the tongue and heel and its name, 1906R, on the lateral ankle.

“90s running style for the modern age”

The New Balance 1906R was due to be released in August 2022, but rather than launching the retro silhouette on its own, the brand chose to enlist South Korean fashion label thisisneverthat to design the debut colorways. Known for producing classy retro apparel, thisisneverthat had already worked with New Balance on the 2002R in 2020. For the 1906R, the two brands forged a stylish sneaker with a pre-aged sole and other worn effects that evoked a captivating retro esthetic. It came as part of a capsule collection called ‘The 2022 Downtown Run’, which itself included a new 2002R colorway. New Balance announced both together, describing them as “90s running style for the modern age.”

An incredible start

This collaborative shoe got the New Balance 1906R off to a great start, and the brand soon followed it up with a collection of general release colorways, many of which featured retro tones based on original designs from 2009. Before long, another collaboration was announced, this one with UK footwear retailer size?, and two suave colorways from influential fashion designer Akio Hasegawa were released to great acclaim. All of this generated huge excitement around the 1906R, and before the year was out, Taiwanese streetwear boutique INVINCIBLE and sophisticated Japanese clothing label N. HOOLYWOOD had reignited their epic partnership with New Balance. Together, they produced the compelling ‘Gray Swan’ colorway, which introduced distinctive suede paneling between the traditional overlays along with an orange pull tab on the heel and embroidered text on the toe. Meanwhile, Japanese streetwear brand atmos released the exclusive ‘Tokyo Dimension’ colorway, and in November, the first Cordura edition came out.

The Protection Pack

By 2023, the 1906R was one of New Balance’s most popular lifestyle sneakers, and things would only improve in the year ahead. Visionary footwear designer Yue Wu was brought in to create his own take on the silhouette, adding it to his eccentric ‘Protection Pack’. Well-known for its edgy, avant-garde esthetic, this fan-favorite pack already included the 2002R model, which Wu had furnished with roughly cut suede overlays to make it look like some kind of relic discovered in the future. He did the same to the 1906, with the variant being referred to as the 1906D because of its distressed effects and deconstructed appearance. Alongside this, New Balance also crafted the 1906F, replacing the TPU heel counter with one made of leather or suede. Once again, the name reflected the design as the letter ‘F’ indicated the application of alternative fabrics across the shoe, which gave it a refined esthetic ideal for casual settings. 

Varied collaborations

As well as designing these different variants, New Balance paired up with a whole host of collaborative partners on the 1906R. Australian sneaker retailer Up There created a shiny silver colorway whose vivid green insole was a nod to the carpet in the brand’s Melbourne store, Teddy Santis’ lifestyle brand Aimé Leon Dore produced a stylish sneaker with complementary shades of white and green, and Comme des Garçons Homme delivered a duo of classy designs accented with sophisticated branding. Tokyo-based fashion label AURALEE followed up on its popular versions of the 550 and 2002R by producing two elegant 1906R colorways with washed hues and pre-aged effects. Brand founder Ryota Iwai generated huge excitement around the AURALEE x New Balance 1906R collaboration when he revealed it at Paris Fashion Week, and it was highly sought-after on its release, with GQ magazine praising it for coming “as close to perfect as a sneaker gets”. In August, contemporary Danish fashion house GANNI also chose the catwalk to show off its collaboration with the brand, displaying the ‘Blazing Yellow’ and ‘Egret’ colorways at Copenhagen Fashion Week as part of its spring/summer 2024 collection. Soon after, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift was pictured wearing the 1906R x GANNI ‘Egret’ while out and about in New York, the American musician’s superstar status bringing the silhouette heaps of attention.

Bold new designs

With its celebrity endorsements and high-fashion collaborations, the 1906R was set to be one of the most popular sneakers of 2024. Yet more variants were released, starting with the 1906U, whose utilitarian build incorporated tough angular overlays, reflective elements and hardy materials like ripstop so that it was more suited to outdoor pursuits. Meanwhile, Yue Wu was approached to design another version of the silhouette, once again giving it a deconstructed look through the use of exaggerated overlays, exposed stitching, extended N-lock ribbons and asymmetrical tabs on the tongue and forefoot. Announcing it on his Instagram page in June, Wu described this variant, known as the 1906A, as a “Tech Explosion”. Around the same time, streetwear label Basketcase declared that it would be offering a few pairs of a special edition 1906A colorway at its Paris showroom, the distinctive design featuring a medallion attached to the heel by a chain and safety pin for a retro, grungy style.

A viral variant

Perhaps the most unconventional variant from 2024 was the 1906L. Part-formal dress shoe, part-lifestyle-sneaker, this version was a penny loafer inspired by the 2002R Mule. It was conceived by Charlotte Lee, Design Manager at New Balance UK, who wanted a “more progressive version” of that classy silhouette. With help from Global Strategic Business Unit Manager Lani Perry, who product managed the design, and developer Jessica Tasker, who spent months getting the comfort, fit and style just right, Lee first revealed the 1906L through a collaboration with Japanese fashion designer Junya Watanabe at Paris Fashion Week in early 2024. Watanabe’s stylish monochrome editions eventually came out in October, following a successful launch of the silver general release colorway a month prior. By this point, the unique blend of sneaker and loafer had garnered huge amounts of attention as it went viral on social media sites after appearing on the Paris runway.

Utilitarian collaborations

While the 1906A and 1906L were both released through powerful partnerships, the 1906U had several eye-catching collaborations of its own. INVINCIBLE and N. HOOLYWOOD teamed up once more on the dapper ‘Gray Titan’ colorway, creative company The Whitaker Group designed two sneakers for the ‘Willful Bias Pack’, Los Angeles apparel brand Bricks & Wood crafted the vibrant ‘Echoes of a Butterfly’, and global streetwear retailer Concepts released the compelling ‘Hours and Days’.

A host of creative partnerships

It wasn’t just the 1906 variants that received collaborative sneakers in 2024; throughout the year, the core 1906R model attracted some of the most highly rated of all New Balance collaborations. Several came from fashion labels like America’s Kith, China’s Randomevent and South Korea’s CAYL, the last designing two nature-inspired colorways with translucent ripstop uppers, no-sew overlays and toggle laces for a more outdoor-friendly shoe. London’s premium sneaker store Footpatrol produced a captivating sneaker inspired by electromagnetic radiation, while creative communities 99Ginger and The Basement each put out their own bold colorways. Accomplished footwear designer Salehe Bembury continued his successful partnership with New Balance, releasing two versions of the 1906R in his ‘Heat Be Hot Pack’. Both had volcano-inspired names – ‘Lava’ and ‘Magma’ – and were decorated with striking tones to match. Charismatic rapper-turned-designer Action Bronson also crafted a duo of stylish colorways, one an elegant sneaker with pink and off-white tones called ‘Rosewater’, the other a rich blend of blue and black entitled ‘Medusa Azul’. Fellow American rapper Jack Harlow then collaborated with New Balance to make the 1906R ‘Rose Runner’ – a graceful design with a colorful floral theme and artistic watercolor paintings on each insole that was launched in a stylish short film which Harlow himself cameoed in.

A military-inspired variant

Just when it appeared that it was no longer possible to innovate on the 1906R, New Balance launched another variant at the beginning of 2025. This one was called the 1906W, and its most distinctive feature was its upper, which took inspiration from the 950v2 – a sneaker the brand had designed for the United States military back in 2014. Following on from that model, the 1906W had a hard-wearing Fantomfit outer made using a synthetic performance mesh with a web of no-sew overlays fuzed onto it. This form-fitting material provided ultra-lightweight, breathable support while also presenting an intriguing scale-like esthetic, making it at once functional and stylish.

A remarkably versatile sneaker

With its captivating blend of unparalleled comfort and timeless style, the New Balance 1906R is one of the most beloved lifestyle sneakers of recent years. In the short time since the heritage running shoe made its epic comeback, it has amassed an astounding wealth of collaborations and variants, thus demonstrating its remarkable versatility. It is this ability to constantly reinvent itself that has earned the 1906 so many fans and which is likely to ensure its continued success long into the future.