I’ve spent nearly two decades monitoring the ebbs and flows of product releases across a variety of industries, from cars and tech to fashion, watches, and outdoor gear. And I’ve rarely seen any company pull off a month of non-stop and noteworthy releases like New Balance just did.
Throughout May, the company has unveiled what’s felt like a constant stream of sneaker drops ranging in style and scope. From revised classics to hype-centric collaborations with Aimé Leon Dore, Issey Miyake, and Action Bronson to athlete-backed releases with NBA stars Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard, the brand hit on basically every move in the sneaker marketing playbook in just a few short weeks. The end result feels like something fresh and compelling for every flavor of New Balance customer.
I’d argue that this pace feels totally unsustainable, except that the private company has been humming for quite some time now. According to Footwear News, in 2020, the company recorded $3.3 billion in global annual sales. At the end of 2023, global sales had nearly doubled to $6.5 billion.
The reason for this impressive trajectory is straightforward: the brand is reaching and gaining new customers like mad. In an email to Footwear News earlier this year, New Balance CEO Joe Preston highlighted that 63% of customers on the brand’s website were new in 2023.
What made this May so notable, in particular though?
Many of the new releases are tied back to the significant expansion of the brand’s annual “Grey Day” launch initiative. Instead of picking a single day in May to announce new releases celebrating the brand’s iconic grey palette, New Balance extended the event to an entire month for the first time. Close to double digit new releases were included in the series.
But enough of the boring macro perspective of a brand’s release calendar. Below are the strongest New Balance releases that arrived recently, at least in my humble opinion.
The best part is that most of them feel like shoes you could rock nearly every day this summer. And unlike many hot sneakers that are released now, you can actually still buy most of these options. Who cares if they aren’t white?
