Off the heels of JoeFreshgoods’s reveal of the Aged Well 992, our staff has began reflecting on Joe’s run with New Balance.
Joe dubbing his team up with New Balance “the best five year run ever” feels bold, but once our team started thinking back to their past efforts, it was clear. This has been one of the most impressive runs when it comes to collaborations.
We have ranked Joe Freshgoods x New Balance’s Top 10 projects. The Chicago native has always placed a focus on past experiences; thus making for some of the most memorable releases of the past 5 years.
Here is how the projects ranked when we considered design, impact, storytelling and more.
10. From Prom to Paris- New Balance 990v6
Released last year, the pack was a celebration of one of the pinnacle moments of the high school experience- attending the Prom. The tonal colorways stood out, and were a drastic change from your standard grey 990v6.
9. Beneath the Surface- New Balance 610 & Rainier Boot
Released in the Spring of 2023, the Beneath the Surface pack was designed with the outdoors in mind. The models chosen for the collaboration have proven themselves among the elements. The details, including custom camo patterns throughout the collection, were far from sparse.
8. Stuntman- New Balance 650
Hand numbered and limited to 500 pairs, the Stuntman 650s explore what could have been for one of Chicago’s biggest icons. The shoes spark a conversation about how different the great one’s footwear legacy could be.
7. Inside Voices- New Balance 9060
This collection was intended to celebrate what it was like growing up in a Black household. The colorways, Penny Cookie Pink & Baby Shower Blue, invoked that feeling within Joe. The execution and quality of this collection helped usher in the current popularity of the inline 9060 collection among casual consumers.
6. When Things Were Pure- New Balance 1000
Speaking of ushering in trends, Joe Freshgoods’ collaboration on the 1000 was used as a reintroduction to the model. Originally released in 1999, the 1000 was an important part of New Balance in the early 2000s. Joe channeled that importance by using the sneaker as a canvas to celebrate the 2000s.
5. Outside Clothes- New Balance 990v3
No sophomore slump here. Joe’s second effort with New Balance came at the hight of the sneaker boom post the 2020 pandemic. As the sneaker landscape was rapidly changing, Joe released one of the best sneakers of 2021 sticking true to his goals of pushing the culture forward.
4. The 1998 pack- New Balance 990v4
The celebration of the 1990s and Joe’s message to his younger self. The 1998 pack released in three colorways, each celebrating one of the defining eras of pop culture. The collection drew inspiration from “magazine campaigns, movies, and advertisements of that era”.
3. Performance Art- New Balance 993
Joe put it simply when revealing this collaboration- the trio of 993s were “made to wear well”. This release helped the 993 resurgence, which we are still seeing to this day four years later. The pastel colors deliver boldness; while the suede gives the shoes a premium feel that lifts up the motif of wearing the sneakers well.
2. Aged Well- New Balance 992
The long anticipated return to the 992 was finally officially announced today. While we wait for Joe to tell the full story, there is no denying that these are amongst the best looking sneakers to release from this partnership.
1. No Emotions are Emotions- 992 & the OMN1S
The collection that started it all. The 992 has become one of the holy grails of New Balance sneakers. While the OMN1S were a celebration of one of the most interesting players in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard.The collection was among the highlights of the 2020 NBA All Star Weekend in Chicago, and it has lived in infamy every since.
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