In the age of resale platforms like GOAT and StockX, some enthusiasts place merit solely on a shoe’s resale value. To many, if a sneaker doesn’t “flip” (resell for a premium), it’s a “brick” (destined to collect dust on shelves). But what if a trending footwear brand got together with an equally buzzy streetwear label and made a sneaker that wasn’t intended to sell out?
Aimé Leon Dore and New Balance released their latest collaboration, the 475, in two colorways on Sept. 20. An updated version of a 1986 New Balance model, the 475 features suede and mesh materials with pre-aged, cracking heel tabs and chain stitched “N” logos.
They’re priced at $150 and as of publishing, nearly every size in both colors are still available from Aimé Leon Dore’s website. GOAT and StockX show little demand for the shoes; only a handful have been sold on the marketplaces, and current bids are paltry if not nonexistent.
And that’s all by design, according to New Balance brand president and chief marketing officer Chris Davis.
“The 475 with New Balance and Aimé Leon Dore wasn’t created to generate lines outside of stores, or after market price inflation,” Davis wrote Monday on LinkedIn. “It was made as an aspirational daily staple. A product that goes with anything, to subtly elevate your everyday style. It’s not always about the hype, but can be about creating a timeless classic that allows consumers to participate in your brand at a realistic level.”
While the concept of an almost-always-available sneaker collab is new territory for the Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance partnership, other brands have experimented with the idea in recent years. In 2020, longtime partners Supreme and Nike started releasing Air Force 1 Lows in black and white, and the pairs are regularly restocked in stores and online.
“Whether we like it or not, hype culture has pigeon-holed co-authored product collections into an ultra limited, sometimes obsessive phenomenon that can oftentimes leave your brand loyalists just as disappointed as they are elated,” Davis wrote. “There has to be room to create superior product that represents both effortless wearability and availability.”
The Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 475 is available now from aimeleondore.com for $150.
