BEST NEW BALANCE OF 2019: GENERAL RELEASES (GR)

Whether it was the end of the 990v4, introduction to the 990v5, revamped 997S and S Fusion, or you just wanted a new 997 colorway; NB really crushed it this year with it’s general releases. Unfortunately if you’re looking for any of the models mentioned above, you won’t find them here. Enjoy!

2nd: 996OG
Though the 996 made a comeback in 2019, it was kept rather quiet here in the states. One pair in particular that caught my eye from the jump was this ‘OG’ colorway, that has mismatch left/right shoes. Leather panels, 3M accents, suede, and perforation can be found on these MiChina NB’s. This was my first pair of China 996’s and I found them to run rather small so I sized up to a 11.5 when I purchased at New Balance San Francisco. There’s no doubt in my mind that if a boutiques name was tied to this as a collab, they would’ve got ate up!

1st: 991GNB ‘Elite Gent’
Yep! You guessed it! The top spot goes to the ‘Elite Gent’ 991. If I would’ve acquired the 991SOP though…It may have been a different story. A colorway similar to the released version surfaced near the end of 2018 and had a perforated toe box. Though I would’ve loved to see the perf toe, I’m glad they extended the gentleman’s feel and released a pair that’s easily comparable to the first!