The first retros of the New Balance 550, made in collaboration with Aimé Leon Dore, are coveted on the secondary market. Those shoes sold for a retail price of $130; at their peak, they fetched resale prices in the $600 range.
The style Swift wore at the Chiefs game is not a limited New Balance 550, and is unlikely to see a meaningful price increase on the secondary market. But resale platforms did react to her in the shoes. Stadium Goods, a consignment shop based in New York City, put up a banner on its homepage with an image of the Chiefs-esque colorway worn by Swift, advising shoppers to “act swiftly” to participate in the “Sneaker Love Story.”
Resale platform StockX saw an immediate impact on the volume of sales for the New Balance 550 colorway that Swift wore, according to Drew Haines, StockX’s merchandising director for sneakers and collectibles. In August 2023, the average number of daily trades for the shoes on StockX was 18; the day after Swift wore them, more than 100 pairs were traded. In the week following Swift wearing the New Balance 550, resale prices of the Chiefs-esque colorway on StockX were up 8 percent, and trade volume was up 347 percent.
How long can Swift sustain her role as a sneaker influencer? The answer lies in the trajectory of an egret white New Balance 1906R made in collaboration with Ganni, which she wore in the sunny New York City afternoon on Tuesday. In the event that prices on Ganni’s New Balances shoot up, we just might be looking at a fresh wave of New Balance hype (Taylor’s version).