New Balance Reworks Logos On These Premium 550s

Updated March 15th, 2024: Additional images of the “Small Logo” New Balance 550s have surfaced, posted by New Balance in-house designer Yue Wu. Included in that post, an all-black pair emerged alongside the previously shown white and brown pairs. Though not officially confirmed by the brand, Wu cited “Postal” influence on this pseudo-pack, perhaps drawn from the popularity of the New Balance 706v2 within the working force. You can find Yue Wu’s post embedded below, followed by the original article as posted.

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The New Balance 550, wild as it may have become in recent experimental looks, has never had treatment like this. The “Small Logo” pack stops short of rebuilding the shoe from the ground up, but does a ton of remodelling of the sneakers in between.

While the overall look of the model is of course reminiscent of past releases, this new outfitting strips the 550 silhouette to its barest components. The replacement of the cut out “N” logo on the side is the most immediate draw, replaced by a far smaller NB stamp, but smaller details are just as transformative. Right below the dip in the sock liner, a “Nightwatch Green” loop tag resides on both pairs, and both have their sewn tongues replaced with a one piece luxe leather counterpart.

These changes make the 550 as a result much dressier, and the two colorways here tackle that prompt in opposite ways. The brown pair, in trademark “Rich Earth” and “Rich Oak,” attempts to play as a loafer, the plush leather construction helping drive that direction home. The other, in “Sea Salt” and “Angora” might be a closer comparison to your upscale streetwear, Common Projects sort of fare.

No release date for the New Balance 550 “Small Logo” set is currently confirmed, but a release via NewBalance.com in the next several weeks seems likely. Both the “Rich Earth” and “Sea Salt” pairs will drop in men’s sizing for $130.

In big news out of Boston, the brand reunited with a premier collaborator as we got teaser images of the Joe Freshgoods New Balance 1000.

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