Twenty years after it's original release, the New Balance 577 is a serious shoe. It's not a fun design, and it's original '89 intent was premium performance. Even though it's currently a heritage favourite, it still looks like it would admonish you for talking too loudly on public transport or tut at you for having your ears pierced. For at least a few CT crew members, the wearing of this classic has sent whippet-thin middle-aged commuters sat or stood in our transport proximity into wistful nostalgia, telling us how they wore these models to the death back in the day and wish they still had some boxed up. Now that's a novel change from talk of resell value and bragging rights, and just one of the reasons this model oozes legitimacy. That's not a medical condition by the way, it's a plus point. You know your shoe's no laughing matter when the Israeli army comes-a-knocking for a bulk buy of their own appropriately muted makeup.

In the last few years, this model has had some great colourways, most fearing purist wrath by keeping it tidy - the leather and pigskin 'Limited Editions' from around '03 were simple and deeply effective, though in that leather-heavy form, they seemed to lose their shape a little abruptly after a few wears. When we reworked it in '06 as part of our 'Confederation Of Villainy' pack, we ensured that for every mustard yellow suede panel, there was dark carbon-effect and the appropriate levels of mesh. Offspring's No. 60 'Safari' homages were nice - especially at salerack prices. Erik and Peter at SNS have given it a few outings, and given time to study their all white midsoled versions, now the grumbling has subsided, they seem pretty harmless and hardly the act of heracy some implied.

But when push comes to shove, it's blue and grey all damned day. The ones on sale for peanuts in Champs stores make us uneasy too - Flimby build in traditional colours rules, as the demand for the anniversary release and regular output of the original colours confirms, and the pictured duo gets it very right. Here's to another two decades of stern shoes.