New Balance has been rather prolific with its disconnected Author’s Collection throughout the latter half of 2014. The premium detailing on numerous silhouettes has been a pleasant surprise and now the New Balance 997 Cheap joins the ranks. The New Balance 997 Men is a strange shoe to see without its signature reflective accents, but it manages to work through the absence thanks to a luxurious black leather and brown suede.
It’s still sort of strange to see the New Balance 997 Discount show up without any reflective treamtnet on the shoe. The first two pairs that showed up for this year’s retro run had the requisite Scotchbrite bits, but this one gets rid of them in favor of a more subtle and smart colorway. It’s all leather and suede and browns and blacks here, resulting in one of the more lowkey 997s that we’ve seen, right up there with the “Authors Pack” pair.
It seems inevitable that the New Balance 997 For Sale return will eventually get sent to the collab realm, and we can’t wait to see which shop gets their hands on this venerated silhouette to whip up an SMU. The shoe has been getting plenty colorful though without outside help – if you need any evidence on that then check out this burgundy and blue version. The Made in USA sneakers don’t come cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for in terms of craftsmanship.
We know that the New Balance 997 Women will be sticking around until next year at the very least. New Balance acolytes are no doubt hoping that the sneakers stay around as long as possible – their presence in original form is a treat that’s been universally celebrated ever since that grey pair showed up. The shoes are seen here getting more and more colorful, with the above sporting a sky blue shade and the below going back to the navy.