New Balance introduces a special version of the 996 shoe silhouette, which made its original debut back in 1988 and has seen new updates since. This time around, the iconic silhouette gets a vintage update with gray suede making up most of the upper paired with traditional design accents.
The 996 shoe is paired with a kiltie on top, which is a fringed covering that attaches to the laces and hands from the top section of the tongue area, which is a detail that is most notably seen on formal footwear. Additionally, there are also traditional touches of perforated details at the heel stripes and toe box to nod to old-school brogues for a retro feel.
Image Credit: atmos Tokyo
What's Driving This Trend
- Vintage Sneaker Style
- New Balance's update of the 996 shoe with vintage details offers opportunities for brands to incorporate classic elements into their sneaker designs.
- Fringe Accents
- The addition of a kiltie fringe detail to the 996 shoe presents potential for fringe to become a popular embellishment in the footwear industry.
- Mixing Formal and Casual Styles
- The use of a kiltie fringe detail on a traditionally casual sneaker offers potential for brands to experiment with combining formal and casual elements in their designs.
Who This Affects Most
- Footwear
- New Balance's release of the 996 shoe with unique vintage and fringe details creates opportunities for brands in the footwear industry to incorporate similar design elements.
- Fashion
- The trend toward incorporating vintage and classic design elements into modern fashion presents opportunities for brands to create clothing and accessories that appeal to consumers interested in nostalgia.
- Retail
- Retailers who carry sneakers and footwear can benefit from stocking products that incorporate unique and trendy details like the kiltie fringe on the New Balance 996 shoe.
