New Balance 990v6

GAG is excited to announce the release of the 990v6 on November 4th - 40 years since the release of the first ever New Balance 990. Known for its pavement-pounding performance, premium materials and high tech specs, the 990v6 builds on the tried and true features of its predecessors. The updated 990v6 design dispenses with the standard midfoot saddle, allowing the pigskin and synthetic overlays to flow from heel to toe across the mesh upper. The evolved design marks one of the most dramatic changes from one generation model to the next, but the greatest leap forward occurs on the inside. The addition of the FuelCell midsole cushioning means that the evolution of the 990 can be felt as much as it can be seen.

Back in the 1980s, as big brands began striving to cut manufacturing costs in order to keep up with an aggressively price-oriented consumer market, New Balance took a decidedly different approach. Realising there was another way to view the situation that didn’t ‘require buying into the new wave of consumerism that was sweeping the globe’, the Boston-based company decided to focus on quality, rather than cutting costs in order to pass savings onto the consumer. An early version of today’s anti-fast fashion movement, New Balance aimed to produce shoes of the highest quality, built to last with no expense spared, rather than making shoes at a lower cost that customers would have to replace on the regular.

With this outlook, New Balance released the iconic 990 in 1982. Retailing for a sizzling US$100 price tag, it was the most expensive running shoes on the market at the time. Despite the big bucks needed to land a pair, the 990 proved its worth and after only six months, New Balance had smashed their projected first-year sales of 5000 with over 50,000 orders.

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