2023.12.27

History & Evolution: The New Balance '996' Marks Its 35th Anniversary as a Signature Shoe of the Brand!

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The New Balance '996' was born in 1988 as the third model in the 900 series developed for road running. Despite its classic design, it's a long-standing crowd-pleaser due to its comfortable fit. Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, we spoke to Shigeyuki Kunii, the creative director of Mita Sneakers and a key player in the sneaker scene, about the historical evolution of the '996' and its significance to New Balance.

The '996' was the First of the 900 Series to Gain Recognition in Japan

The pioneering '990' road running model of the 990 series was launched in 1982 with the slogan “a score of 990 out of 1000”. This was followed by the '995' in 1986, and then the '996' was launched in 1988. Kunii shares his memories of the '996'.

'U996' is a made in USA version that carries on the original design of the 'M996', featuring a combination of premium pigskin suede and mesh upper. It comes in both the classic gray and the popular navy color. Priced at 35,200 yen (tax included).

“The '996', which debuted with a timeless design based on the top-of-the-line technologies at the time, ENCAP and C-CAP, has a large fan base.

"Although the 990 is now up to the 'v6' model and is getting all the attention, the '996' rose to popularity during the American casual boom of the 90s and has the image of being the first shoe in the 900 series to be recognized in Japan.”

Before the debut of the '996', the '576' had a higher profile, followed closely by the 1000 series.