crooked tongues magazine News Features

We like our New Balances to maintain a certain dignity. Remember when New Balance US faltered with those 'Super Team 33' creations themed on fishes and suchlike and pushed the wackiness remit a little too far? Pieces like this fall onto the right side of fussiness, hurling a ton of different material textures at the 574, and plenty of shades of brown, but coming off looking plush rather than betraying the roots of New Balance. If we're going to nitpick, the faintly metallic details on the tongue and heel are a little too audacious, but these look like they've had the DDC touch, or at least been influenced by the design agency's approach to applications.

As we've mentioned before, the 574 seems to be getting a moment in the sun at present, getting the respect it deserves, whether it's OG applications, sonic welding, impending collaborations with retail big guns or those excellent "DDC USA" reptile effect and suede variations that crept into European stores a few months back. This duo gives the shoe the kind of treatment that the 1400's been blessed with in past months, giving a low pricepoint design a certain aura of luxury that doesn't destroy our escalating obsession with the 576's frumpy younger sibling, and canvas toeboxes are alright with us. Decent for the cooler months ahead.