BEST OF 2018: GENERAL RELEASES

As mentioned in my ‘collaborations’ post; I think that the general releases (GR’s) that were brought out in 2018, outweighed the collaborative partners’ projects. This seemed to be the golden year for the 990v4 on both the collaborative territory and general global release grounds. Here are the pairs that I think should get the most attention for 2018:

990NB4: April 2018 brought us the commemorative pair of 990v4’s to recognize the history of the 990 by releasing a limited production that would cost $100 per pair. The $100 price tag was used to acknowledge the fact that the 990 was the first running shoe to break the $100 price point, and thus was dubbed the 990 ‘Legend’. This release was the one to break the mold with NB SF and myself as I was chosen to help with the promotional side of things. It was a pleasure working with the NB SF staff on this project. I also want to give kudos to NB as whole on the marketing campaign that led up to the release. The container drop, walk-through, and ticket system was slick! If you want to follow-up on my actual experience for the ‘Legend’ 990 then please click here:

990KMN4: New Balance & Susan G. Komen have been working together for several years to help bring awareness to breast cancer. Their projects together are usually a muted tone of pink that is laid on a 99X model of NB. I’ve only seen one bold, bright pink rendition, and that was their 990v3. The muted pink on this 990v4 reminded me of their early project that was a 993 that I featured in Oct. 2018. I’d like to think that this pair in particular has been their best seller as part of the Komen x NB legacy. If you’d like a pair; they’re still available here:

9919CV: Suede, pebbled leather, and mesh all brought together to make one tasteful shoe. NB’s Caviar & Vodka pack had to be one of the best packs of the year; their 1500, 991, and 770 uppers were all adapted to the 990v3 midsole to make them unique hybrids. I wasn’t a crazed fan of the 991/1500 midsole hybrid, but I think this 990v3 actually works well with the 991. It was nice to see that they used this colorway on a 1500 that released around the same time as the pack. What was your favorite from the Caviar & Vodka pack?

990FEB4: I literally just picked these beauties up from NB SF 3 days ago, and they are EVERYTHING I knew they’d be when I heard the rumor of a horween 990v4 back in the beginning of the year. NB SF received a very small amount of these, so I was blessed that they had one size 11, and it was mine! This 990 doesn’t fall short from any previous Horween Leather x NB. The quality is what you’d expect from a MiUSA NB. The only thing I’m missing is that black box that seemed to be a signature for horween releases.

Though there were many great pairs this year, these were the 4 that stood out the most. As I grow older, I tend to find myself analyzing shoes more critically and taking appropriate time to find out if I really need them or if they’d be an impulse purchase. I’ve sold a few pairs after I did acknowledge they were impulse purchases. My 2018 year was dedicated to hunting down older pairs, and I’ll be sharing those with you in my next post. Happy Holidays everyone!