New Balance introduced its latest Summer Nine pack dropped to honor the fine craft that is curated by its Flimby-based factory. It starts off the celebratory series with a selection of Made In UK launches. This features some inaugural footwear models that blend together hybrid designs, perfectly fusing both traditional and contemporary design. The pack features a 1500.9 sneaker, a 991.9, and the New Balance 770.9.
All of the sneakers boast an upper that references its name directly. For example, the 1500.9 has a 1500 upper sitting atop a 990v3 sole unit as the foundation. This blends together recognizable silhouettes for natural results. The hybrid structures are constructed from a blend of pigskin suede paneling at the uppers with a color palette of blue against gray, black against gray, or pink as well.
British Craft-Celebratory Sneakers
New Balance Honors a Flimby-Based Factory With Summer Nine Pack
Trend Themes
1. Hybrid Sneaker Designs - The blend of traditional and contemporary design in sneaker hybrids presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the footwear industry.
2. Craft-celebratory Collections - Creating limited-edition collections that honor fine craftsmanship can tap into the trend of exclusive and unique products, offering disruptive innovation in the fashion industry.
3. Referencing Upper Designs - Utilizing upper designs that directly reference the name of the sneaker model opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation in the branding and storytelling of footwear.
Industry Implications
1. Footwear - The hybrid sneaker designs showcased in the Summer Nine pack by New Balance highlight disruptive innovation opportunities within the footwear industry.
2. Fashion - Craft-celebratory collections like the Summer Nine pack have the potential to disrupt the fashion industry by offering unique and exclusive products.
3. Branding - Referencing upper designs in sneakers can bring disruptive innovation to the branding and storytelling strategies of footwear companies.