These days, New Balance takes pride of place in footwear collections across the globe, drawing high-profile collaborations from all four corners whilst fronting a movement dictated by revisiting archival catalogues and highlighting all-new, all-exciting technologies.
History of New Balance 550
However, to find out what makes the New Balance 550 tick, you’ll need to join TOWER for a history lesson - take a seat, we’ve got it from here!
New Balance debuted the 550 basketball trainer in 1989, just nine years after TOWER first opened its doors to London’s footwear community. It served as a lower-cut alternative to the 650, another style a New York fashion-house has played a vital role in re-launching more recently.
Footwear Designer Steven Smith
Before succumbing to a dose of the footwear industry’s modern retro treatment, NB’s 550 was already rife with architectural heritage, as preliminary ideas, silhouette development and sample refinement were all handled by Mr Steven Smith himself who designed the New Balance 574, 1500, 997 and 550.
When NB’s 550 hit shopfloors for the first time, they didn’t look so different to how we see them today; each pair was clad in smooth leather, perforated panelling and mesh components complimentary of plumped-up profile branding.