New Balance has teamed up with six Japanese brands to design their own take on the classic CM996 silhouette. United Arrows, atmos, BEAMS PLUS, N.HOOLYWOOD, mita, and nonnative have each taken the low-top silhouette and adorned it in their own personalized mix of colors, patterns, and materials. Let’s take a look at each one below.
atmos took a colorful approach to their iteration, utilizing a color blocking that features purple, yellow, green, orange, pink and more throughout the sneakers suede and mesh upper.
United Arrows opts for a clean look with an entirely white leather upper which is only contrasted by the sneaker’s mustard yellow suede heel tab.
nonnative’s vintage-inspired makeover features a plush suede upper with faux yellowing treatment to the midsole. Elastic gussets are applied to the tongue, allowing the shoe to be worn with the shoelaces removed.
N.Hoolywood’s Daisuke Obana has a love for vintage and militaria. This is seen in his 996 iteration, which features panels of olive-toned ballistic mesh and faded grey leather overlays.
The BEAMS PLUS edition is dressed in a sleek two-toned color scheme. The sneaker’s tongue, lace cage, and midpanel is constructed with black leather, while the rest of the upper is covered in off-white premium nubuck.
Finally, the mita 996 features a grey-dressed color scheme contrasted by stripes of white that run vertically throughout the upper. The lateral side features a grey N logo, while the medial side adds a pop of color with a neon green N.
The atmos, United Arrows, and nonnative pairs are set to release on July 27th at select Japan retailers, followed by pairs from N.Hoolywood, BEAMS PLUS, and mita on August 3rd. Scroll down for additional photos of each of the six pairs.
