A Vintage Baseball Film Inspires Concepts’ Next New Balance Collab

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Concepts has tapped longtime collaborator and hometown neighbor New Balance for its latest project.

As part of the Concept’s 25th anniversary collaborative series, the sneaker boutique and the sportswear brand will deliver their “Headin’ Home” collection this month and the centerpiece of the capsule is a special iteration of the New Balance 57/40. According to Concepts, this collab explores the rivalry between Boston and New York by recounting the oft-forgotten silent film “Headin’ Home,” which details baseball legend Babe Ruth’s transition from the Red Sox to the Yankees in 1919.

The Concepts x New Balance 57/40 “Headin’ Home” dons a bold new orange color scheme predominantly on the leather and suede upper as a nod to the film’s posters. Adding to the design is the shoe’s “N” logo crafted with a material similar to the wax paper used on a standard pack of baseball cards. The sneakers come packaged in a custom box featuring vintage iconography.

“A fictional account of the player’s life, Headin’ Home was dubbed ‘a delightful photoplay of youth and happiness.’ While athlete-driven film features are common today, this was pioneering for its time: The Yankees first attempt at selling its stars through popular entertainment. The slugger was buzzing. He’d begun full transition from pitcher to hitter. New York sought to capitalize on all of the home run heroics — on and off the field,” Concepts wrote in a statement about the inspiration behind the capsule.

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The Concepts x New Balance 57/40 collab will be released this Friday exclusively Cncpts.com at 10 a.m. ET and at Concepts stores. The shoe will retail for $150.

Concepts x New Balance 57/40 'Headin' Home'
The Concepts x New Balance 57/40 “Headin’ Home” collab.
CREDIT: Courtesy of Concepts

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