Offering collaborative footwear with New Balance on a season-by-season basis, Junya Watanabe’s recent work with the brand has stayed true to an understated aesthetic. Existing silhouettes have merely received upgrades in materials, although crafted with care. But for the coming FW24 collection, the legendary designer truly stole the show at Paris Fashion Week by revealing his most daring contribution yet.
Combining the outsole cushioning of the 1906R and the upper for a leather loafer, Junya Watanabe flexes his reinterpretative skills with the 1906L by combining the distinct upper of the slip-on dress/casual shoe with the performance properties of New Balance. The overlays on the 2000s runner almost act as a protective cage without compromising the look of the slip-on. Itself a trendy footwear item among the sartorially conscious, the loafer has never appeared in this manner — and that’s why Watanabe will have always have a loyal following of vintage hoarders as well as those who are decked out in current-season gear.
An official release is presumed to go down during July, August, or September of this year, coinciding with the third quarter of 2024.
In other NB collab updates from Paris Fashion Week, check out the AURALEE New Balance 990v4 in two colorways.
