A lot has happened since New Balance and Junya Watanabe first unveiled the 1906L, a hybrid between a formal loafer and New Balance’s old-school 1906 sneaker.
Presented on the runway as part of Junya Watanabe MAN’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection this January, it sparked the rapid normalization of sneaker-loafer hybrids in fashion. And since its debut, we have seen the unconventional model (sans Junya Watanabe branding) swiftly sell out in an all-silver build.
However, while sneaker-loafer purveyors have multiplied and more general-release colorways of the New Balance 1906L have emerged, Junya Watanabe has remained radio-silent about its co-branded sporty loafer that went viral.
On October 18, the wait for the Junya Watanabe MAN x New Balance 1906L will be over (finally!). The sneaker will be released via Junya Watanabe stockists in Japan and via Dover Street Market.
Offered in all-black with white Junya Watanabe MAN branding on the tongue, this collaboration detaches itself from other New Balance 1906L renditions through its premium build.
Unlike its techy-built counterparts, the sneaker has a matte leather upper with more glossy leather overlays.
When New Balance and Junya Watanabe previewed this mash-up between a formal shoe and a sneaker at the start of this year, few would have predicted the amount of similar mixed-breed footwear that would follow.
This year, Edison Chen turned the adidas Superstar into a brogue, classic court sneakers got dapper makeovers, and football boots (also known as soccer cleats) became dress shoes. Some of the most spoken-about sneakers of 2024 aren’t really sneakers at all.