Two recent posts from sneaker Instagrammer Dane3fune have sparked some interesting analysis among the major sneaker media outlets. The posts in question show images of a pair of shoes that appear to be two different versions of the same silhouette. One post shows a pair of sneakers that are solid white. The other post shows the same pair in a mix of white and silver. Both versions of the shoe look somewhat like New Balance’s current 1906R. The caption below each of the Instagram posts reads “New Balance 1906M.”
Speculation is swirling and supported by sneaker experts at Hypebeast and Sneaker News that the M stands for “military,” and there’s evidence to suggest this theory might be correct.
New Balance has a history of making exclusive running shoes for the U.S. Military
New Balance initially made a prototype running shoe exclusively intended for the U.S. military in 2014. The New Balance 950v2 was an attempt by the company to seize an opportunity related to the military’s compliance with the Berry Amendment, which generally stipulates that the Department of Defense should procure various supplies, including clothing, from domestic sources.
According to Military.com, while the U.S. Military had a longstanding tradition of issuing uniforms to recruits, the Army, Navy and Air Force asked recruits to buy running shoes on their own using an $80 clothing credit. This practice was a granted exception to the Berry Amendment in acknowledgment that running shoes made entirely in America didn’t exist in the market.
One hundred percent of the 950v2 components were sourced domestically, making the prototype running shoe far more in line with Berry Amendment guidelines. And New Balance pushed officials to revise their take on recruits buying foreign-made shoes accordingly.
Five years later, New Balance signed a $17.3 million contract to make training sneakers for the U.S. military. The contract covered 18 months, with the option to renew for 18 months, depending on performance.
