The Balancing Act
New Balance, a new age ivy staple
It’s taken me years to arrive at wearing sneakers, or trainers as we call them in the UK.
I’m very picky about what I’ll wear, but a brand of footwear I’m drawn to is New Balance.
With City Boy style becoming more talked about, I find myself increasingly investigating it and appreciating how, yet again, the Japanese continue to embrace classic American style and move it forward.
One of the things I appreciate about Ivy is that, unless you’re an absolute purist, it’s not stuck in a certain direction.
You don’t have to listen to a certain type of music, you don’t have to conform to a certain set of rules. You can enjoy it for what it is and embrace it in whatever way you wish. It’s a broad spectrum of inspiration that continues to grow.
New Balance 515 in Grey
New Balance began in 1906 in Boston, originally making arch supports. Transitioning to athletic footwear in the 1960s, it gained fame for quality and innovation. Since then, it has become a leading brand known for comfort, performance, and domestic manufacturing.
It’s no surprise the collegiate crowd have adopted this iconic American shoe. It sits perfectly within the Ivy realm, and it somehow works with just about anything you pair it with.
A look that sneakers work really well with is the one below. It’s what I think of as a classic New York look. You’re in a rush, you need a mix of smart, practical, and functional. The look below is a melting pot of all three.
It shouldn’t work, but it does.
The classic New Balance colour is grey, but you don’t have to stick to it. There are tonnes of different colours, variations, and styles to choose from. All of which can be used to elevate your look, add a splash of colour, and create a style that is unique to you.
Ivy is often unconventional, but that’s its charm.
It’s a style based on wearing clothing often worn out of context. Do I go running in a pair of New Balance? I’ll let you be the judge. They’re just too nice for that.
I’ve always admired New Balance’s "Runners Aren’t Normal" campaign. It highlights the fact that their shoes can be worn by anyone, and it references the very fact that the majority of people wearing them aren’t runners at all.
Runners aren’t normal, well, neither are 'Ivy Leaguers'.
When I say 'Ivy Leaguers', I mean those of us who appreciate the style, not the fact that most of us have never set foot on Ivy League soil. And that’s what makes us unique.
Usually, if you adhere to a style, you’re officially part of a movement. We wear the clothes, but we don’t attend the classes.
It could be argued that the above picture and the one below aren’t at all an Ivy look. But you can’t deny they’re definitely inspired by the look. It’s all about progression.
Straight away we see influences of Americana with the use of denim, sportswear, overcoats, caps, and watch hats.
The styling celebrates everything that modern-day Ivy stands for and did originally: comfort, practicality, and versatility. Everything worn is timeless but can be traced back to a certain era.
As well as letting them clash beautifully, you can allow the colours to complement each other.
Now, I’m more of a fan of letting them clash myself, but you can let the colours complement - and it can work quite well.
The above picture shows Mr Porter choosing a complementary pair of New Balance with a rugby shirt. It's more of a preppy look, but within the realm of Ivy.
I can imagine a red cap working with this look, just to offset the matching colours. I think it needs breaking up somewhere.
It’s taken me a while to wear them, but it’s fun to let go sometimes and do it your own way.
Be like the Japanese, keep the style alive, move it forward, accidentally create a subgenre like City Boy; either way, if it makes you comfortable, go for it. Make your mark and add your own flair.
In Other News!
The new Easy On The Ivy Spotify playlist is live, featuring artwork by the extremely talented Shawn Bracebridge (@shawn_bracebridge).
The first installment features some of the stuff I’m listening to at the moment, including lots of jazz, hip hop, Japanese city pop, and lots more. Listen here.
All the best,
Tom
Was turned off New Balance when I saw George Osborne pictures in them. Always liked the simplicity of Stan Smiths, but one nice shoe I’ve seen recently and thinking of buying is an Italian brand called Valsport, very nice indeed. https://www.valsport.it - also Spanish brand Mates doing some interesting shoes https://mates.es/home-2/