Months after rapper Aminé confirmed his upcoming collaboration with New Balance, the style is finally ready to drop.
Slated to be released next week, the new Aminé x New Balance 610T sneaker takes inspiration from bananas, which pays tribute to the artist’s obsession with the fruit, while also celebrating the musician’s journey from being a kid from Portland to becoming who he is today.
“The idea of bananas becoming my bat signal came from struggle and I would always draw the logo to remind me of my journey,” Aminé said in a statement. “The bananas represent my come up.”
Aminé’s version of the trail-ready 610T style takes the banana theme up a notch by combining a its mix of materials like a yellow spacer mesh upper overlaid with glossy, brown patent leather, and paired with a speckled, three-color midsole, mimicking the color change that occur as a banana ripens.
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The fruit theme continues with the shoe’s custom banana sticker graphic sock liner and banana crate graphic packaging, while other playful details like iridescent panels and a graphic jewel detail with a surprising ‘snow globe’ effect can also be found.
A closer-knit mesh at the ankle collar, along with ripstop accents at the heel and rope lacing offers an additional hint of functional, outdoor inspiration from the 610T model.
The rapper first confirmed his upcoming sneaker collab with New Balance on social media in May. In the video shared by Aminé on Instagram, it showed him and two friends looking up at a billboard that read “A Kid From Portland Has His Own Sneaker” alongside an image of bananas. In the Instagram caption, Amine wrote “Aminé x New Balance 2023 🍌.”
New Balance announced in April 2022 that it has signed Aminé to join its roster of ambassadors and athletes, which include Jaden Smith, Kawhi Leonard, Storm Reid, Coco Gauff and Zach LaVine, among others.
“I’m excited to be partnering with New Balance and can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in the works. For anyone that knows me and my style this partnership feels more than natural,” Aminé said about his new partnership with New Balance last year. “I’m very happy to be partnering with people who get it.”
The Aminé x New Balance 610T, which retails for $160, will launch globally on NewBalance.com starting Aug. 25.
