After teaming up with adidas briefly in 2019, Donald Glover is once again getting his own sneaker collaboration, this time in partnership with New Balance.
The Golden Globe, Emmy, and Grammy award winner, also known by his stage name Childish Gambino, is helping New Balance introduce a new silhouette dubbed the RC30 (as seen in the SS23 shows of AURALEE and Junya Watanabe). The design of the RC30 is reminiscent of the vintage New Balance 320, the brand’s first sneaker to feature the N logo, though there are some modern updates. The most notable is the rippled outsole, an experimental design choice inspired by the original New Balance Trackster. Donald Glover’s version of the silhouette comes in “Sea Salt” and “Golden Hour” colorways and opts for a nylon upper, suede overlays, and leather N logos.
“With celebrity-endorsed sneakers coming out every weekend, we thought Donald was a good collaborator for New Balance to take a more considered approach,” says Joe Grondin, Business Unit Manager – Global Collaborations & Energy Projects at New Balance. “No loud colors or branding, just classic, easy-to-wear colorways of a new silhouette that fit Donald’s style.”
Glover has enlisted his CM+CM Studio to create an animated campaign to introduce the collaboration. CM+CM Studio is led by Courtland and Brett, who met Donald at a retreat in Ojai, California. The short film is pretty meta, as it gives a “behind the scenes” of the ideation for the RC30 campaign.
The Donald Glover x New Balance RC30 launches on July 8th exclusively on marketbygilga.com. A wider release will follow on July 18th on NewBalance.com and at select retailers worldwide. Check out both colorways below and the animated campaign film above.
Donald Glover x New Balance RC30
Color: Sea Salt
Style Code: URC30DD
Release Date: July 8, 2022 (Gilga)
Release Date: July 18, 2022 (Global)
Price: $120 USD
Donald Glover x New Balance RC30
Color: Golden Hour
Style Code: URC30GG
Release Date: July 8, 2022 (Gilga)
Release Date: July 18, 2022 (Global)
Price: $120 USD
