Now over 30 years old, the versatile New Balance 550 is making a couture comeback, thanks to their collaboration with New York design-house Aimé Leon Dore. If you’ve managed to get your hands on a pair, you have a great leap-off point for a killer casual look.
The comeback
It was the late 1980s and New Balance was looking for a way to stake a claim in the basketball shoe arena. And for good reason. Air Jordans (first released to the public in 1985) were the It shoe. They were so popular that they crossed out of the niche world of athletics and into the mainstream.
New Balance tried out the 650 and the 480, both of which sported higher tops, much like the original Air Jordans. The 550 debuted with a lower cut around the ankle, which was much more comfortable, but not as supportive on the basketball courts. They didn’t quite catch fire like New Balance hoped, and they more or less dropped from the radar of kick connoisseurs.
Fast-forward to 2014. Entrepreneur Teddy Santis founded Aimé Leon Dore, and began his raiding of 90s fashions, fueled by his fond nostalgia of Queens culture. He hit upon the New Balance 550, and the rest is history.
He’s now the creative director of New Balance’s “Made In USA” line, and he’s working the 550 line hard. The Taupe version of the New Balance/Aimé Leon Dore collaboration even made our list of best luxury sneakers.
With this reinvigorated push, we’re bound to start seeing New Balance 550 on feet everywhere.
How to style your New Balance 550
The New Balance 550 fits just about any casual outfit you can create, but there are some definite trends out there you can use for a reference point when pulling together your look.
Leg-wise, we’ve been seeing jeans (usually blue) paired quite a bit with New Balance Aimé Leon Dore 550. The shoes make for a nice clean period at the bottom of the exclamation point formed by the rest of your body.
If jeans aren’t your speed, don’t be afraid to try out some corduroys or even semi-formal pleated pants for your New Balance 550 outfit. Shorts will also do the trick. We do suggest that you keep your legwear restricted to a mono-tone, as opposed to a splashy print (there is such a thing as being too 1990s).
Your top acts as your counterpoint to your pants. If you went with a muted color down below, then you’ve left yourself space to throw on a brightly colored hoodie or print shirt.
If you’ve gone with a more colorful version of shoes, like the New Balance 550 Red, try a neutral tone like a brown or grey for your legs, then match the red on top for a bright but balanced effect.
How semi-formal or casual your look ends up is entirely up to you. That’s what makes the 550 so impressive—they match up just right with a wide range of presentations.
For the ladies
The 550 is a perfectly fine bit of footwear for women as well as men. However, if you’d prefer something a little more feminine, you can select from our cultivated list of the best sneakers for women.
Either way, all of the tips above will also work for you. Decide on how casual you want your look to be, and then build out from your shoes up. Women have the added advantage that the 550 make for an incredibly cute complement to summer dresses and playful skirts.
For the men
