New Balance Celebrate Grey Day with Trio of Tonal Releases
Does it get any better than a pair of clean grey sneakers? A shade inextricably tied to the Boston imprint, Grey Day is a celebration of all the heritage models and colourways that make the brand what it is today. New Balance once again have big things planned for their annual festivities in 2022, with a trio of tonal releases set to mark the occasion.
Rendering all three in its signature overcast palette, the Grey Day pack includes the and – a triple-threat that have helped to extend New Balance’s reign of grey into the 2020s.
First up is the 327, a model that originally made a splash with Charaf Tajer’s Casablanca brand in 2020. Billed as ‘the ultimate leisure shoe’, the 327 pulls no punches with a bold design marked by throwback flared midsoles and oversized branding. For their latest rendition, New Balance have turned out the lights, applying gunmetal ‘N’ logos and two-toned charcoal uppers making it the darkest entry to this year's Grey Day pack.
Next in line is the New Balance 54/70, a hybrid model that was unveiled in early 2021. Emblazoned with two stacked midsoles and an oversized 'N' logo, the sneaker combines elements of starry-eyed 1990s sneaker tech and wavy design emblematic of the 1980s. For Grey Day this year, the shoe adopts sleek silver shades accented by natural hues of green, brown and beige.
Finally, the boisterous XC-72 arrives as part of the pack. The model famously takes cues from the speculative tech of 1970s concept cars and is loaded with vertically split outsoles and two hard ground traction designs – the XC15’s ‘gripper’ and the 375’s studded pattern. The latest XC-72 colourway leans into contrasting characteristics, the black, grey and white design emboldened by murdered-out ‘N’ logos.
Most importantly, all three releases meet New Balance's green leaf standard, a commitment to including environmentally-preferred materials when manufacturing select products. All three models are manufactured with more than 50 per cent recycled or organic materials in the upper, minimising our reliance on virgin, petroleum-based materials. Leather used supports more responsible manufacturing through the Leather Working Group, and man-made cellulose is also utilised. It’s not only the uppers that are getting a material overhaul, either. In the engine room down below, at least one midsole or outsole material for the 327, 57/40 and XC-72 uses a minimum of either 3 per cent bio-based foam or 5 per cent recycled content.
‘The goal was to represent the full spectrum of warm and cool greys while incorporating some more sustainable materials,’ says Paul Kaseumsouk, senior product manager of the Grey Day pack. ‘They’re inspired by the past but not bound by its limitations.’
Get your hands on Grey Day models from New Balance on May 14 in the Asia Pacific and Latin America. North America and Europe will follow on May 21.