# Celebratory Prosperity-Themed Sneakers New Balance's New X Racer Honors Lunar New Year 2020 By Amy Duong | Published 2020-01-27 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/x-racer References: [hypebeast](https://hypebeast.com/2020/1/shoe-palace-new-balance-x-racer-year-of-the-rat-release-date-info) & [shoepalace](https://www.shoepalace.com/product/new-balance/msxrcspc/shoe-palace-x-new-balance-x-racer-yotr-mens-running-shoe-black-tan-red/) Show [Palace](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/palace-x-fred-perry) works in collaboration with [New Balance](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-balance-610) on a new iteration of the X Racer sneaker model. This time, the duo join forces to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Rat that it welcomes. It boasts inspirations of the concept of prosperity and wealth as that is what the rat represents in Chinese culture. The sneakers are detailed with intricate accents with technical style components as well. The uppers boast a blend of tan, brown, and black informed with synthetics, mesh, and suede materials. The base also features bright contrasting hues including red across the sollar stitching and the laces. To further nod to the theme, there is a gold rat that is found on the shoe's tongue. Image Credit: Shoe Palace ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.6/10 - Popularity: 50% | Activity: 18% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/shoes) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Prosperity-themed Sneakers:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing sneakers that celebrate cultural holidays and themes to cater to specific consumer markets. - **Collaborative Fashion Partnerships:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Partnering with fashion brands to create limited edition sneaker collections that appeal to niche audiences. - **Symbolic Design Elements:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating meaningful symbols and motifs in sneaker design to create storytelling and emotional connections with consumers. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Footwear:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introducing special edition sneakers that align with cultural events to attract passionate sneaker collectors. - **Fashion:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Leveraging collaborations with footwear brands to offer unique and exclusive products that resonate with fashion-forward consumers. - **Lifestyle and Celebrations:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating themed sneakers that tap into cultural celebrations and festivals, providing individuals with a way to express their cultural identity through fashion. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Celebratory New Year Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-balance-610.md) - [Lunar New Year Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/year-of-the-snake-sneakers.md) - [Festive New Year-Inspired Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/991-sneaker-3.md) - [Festive Lunar New Year Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skechers-street-uno-year-of-the-dragon.md) - [Minimalist New Year Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/on-year-of-the-snake-cloudtilt.md) - [Lunar New Year Packs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/atmos-x-new-balance.md) - [Lunar Festivity-Inspired Embroidered Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/air-force-1-low-6.md) - [Illustrative Custom Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lunar-new-year-sneaker.md) - [Shimmery New Year-Inspired Streetwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hajime-sorayama-2.md)