The Fusion of Classic Models '990' & '860'! Why New Balance's New Standard '90/60' is Garnering Support

The iconic '574' and the '650' released in 1994 fused to create the '57/40', which received overwhelming support and marked a significant success for New Balance. This season, the brand's classic 900 series and the early 2000s performance shoe '860' are gaining popularity with their fusion into the '90/60'.

We asked Shigeyuki Kunii of Mita Sneakers, a key figure in the sneaker scene familiar with the brand, about the development story of this popular model and the future developments New Balance envisions.

The Concept is to Showcase Traditional Functionality in a Modern and Bold Way

With the '57/40', a fusion of iconic model numbers, New Balance won over new fans. The '90/60' was born from the brand's desire to remain faithful to the traditions nurtured by the brand while also offering new value to the scene.

Kunii, who has a close relationship with New Balance, spoke about the background of the model's development.
 
"The '90/60' is a series conceived with the theme of 'SHIFTED', reimagining legendary models from the 70s, 80s, and 90s for the modern day. The actual base models adopted for the '90/60' were the 900 series '993' and '991'.
 
"While taking cues from past models, the shoe embodies a concept we call 'techxplosion', boldly showcasing various technologies that featured in the 900 series and the early 2000s running shoes, such as ABZORB[1], ENCAP[2], and the CR device[3]."