Jaden Smith’s New Balance collaborations keep getting better. First there was the ultra-chunky Vision Racer, then there was the one-off patchwork 574 and, now, Jaden and New Balance are about to debut what may be their most wearable sneaker to date.
Jaden debuted the shoe onstage during Coachella 2023, when he appeared during sister Willow’s set to perform a song with her.
You’d be forgiven for missing the shoe as Jaden bopped across the stage, given the dramatic lighting and the other standout bits in his look (though it’s hardly his wildest outfit even in the past year) but, lo and behold, Jaden’s 2023 New Balance collab.
Looking all the world like New Balance’s 550 if it was a skate shoe, Jaden’s new NB channels the retro chunk we know he enjoys, footwear-wise.
You’ve got a very wearable all-white leather upper, complete with mini NB logo and contrasting black panels, which isn’t very Jaden in so far as it’s quite understated and, dare I say, normal-looking.
But, then you’ve got a deconstructed midsole that breaks up the tread to reveal a black layer beneath. Now that’s quite Jaden.
It’s certainly not as wild as the Vision Racer (nor the bizarre Louis Vuitton/New Balance hybrid shoe that Jaden created a couple years ago) but if there was ever a Jaden Smith New Balance destined to become a smash hit, it’s gotta be this one.
Jaden’s new shoe is currently unnamed but a New Balance rep confirmed that the sneaker will “launch globally later this year.”
I’d expect a release date by the end of Summer 2023, honestly — for some reason, Jaden seems to crank his creativity into high gear around the change of seasons.