New Balance redesigned their classic 1906 sneaker into a penny loafer and perfectly combine elegance, comfort and innovative style in this new shoe.
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Inspired by the increasing popularity of the loafer and the quest for versatility in sports and formal occasions, this adaptation of the brand's 1906 sneaker picks up on the characteristic features of the silhouette — the open mesh upper, the curved synthetic overlays and the 860v2 sole with the segmented ABZORB SBS pods on the heel — and reinterprets them in the form of a classic penny loafer.
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“When Lani [Perry, Senior Product Manager at New Balance] and I were observing the loafer trend, we felt like it was a natural evolution for us as a brand. Our 2002R had evolved into a mule for a few projects and the loafer felt like a more progressive version of that.
We talked a lot about the luxury fashion space and how there is no longer a hard line between sports and luxury. With our previous heritage marketing campaign, ‘What the Well-Dressed Runner Wears’ it felt like a relevant space for us to play in. These conversations resulted in me taking the 1906R artwork and merging it into a loafer form and ideating colour application.
Most of the product creation process was sample based, starting with a taped-last to ensure the 1906R pattern was correctly represented within a loafer form. There was no need for a new blueprint for this model as it was using the existing sole of the 1906 sneaker,” says Charlotte Lee, senior footwear designer at New Balance.
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The Loafer strives to remove the line between performance heritage and fashion, which is underlined by its debut at this year's Fall/Winter Paris Fashion Week. In the midst of the ongoing synthesis of sneakers and fashion, the 1906 Loafer offers a new elegant footwear option that speaks for itself.
The New Balance 1906 Loafer will be available worldwide from September 19. Keep an eye on our Sneaker Releases.
More about the history and development of the New Balance brand, including the 'What the Well Dressed Runner Is Wearing' advertisement, can be found on our New Balance History page.
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Photos via New Balance
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