Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 806v2

When: April 5, 2023

Aimé Leon Dore is ready to shake up the sneakersphere for the first time in 2023, as founder Teddy Santis has revealed a new 860v2 collab with New Balance. Originally released in 2012 as popular all-purpose running shoe (it even won a coveted Editor’s Choice award from Runners World), the 860v2 has seen a revival in recent years as a partner to other New Balance models like the 2002R and the 1906R. Now, ALD is taking it on for the first time in a move that’s all but guaranteed to put it in the spotlight.

Santis showed off three colorways of the forthcoming collaborative sneaker in his favorite fashion: sandwiching the teaser in between dozens of other photos as part of a massive Instagram Stories dump. Though the shoes were concealed in between Action Bronson, reshares of friends’ posts and moodboard-style images, they cut through the chaff with crisp color schemes and subtly-tweaked details. There’s green, red and blue-accented pairs, all of which feature both metallic silver and gold trim plus what appears to be altered tongue branding. Both the green and blue pairs sit atop a white mesh base while the red pair opts for a cream-colored mesh for extra contrast.

Since it was revived back in 2019, the 860v2 has been revamped by END., DIME and thisisneverthat, but this is its first go-around with an American collaborator. It’s a first for Aimé Leon Dore too: their past collaborations have either spotlighted much older running models like the 991, basketball shoes like the 550 or hiking boots like the Rainier.

At this moment (April 4, 2023) you can buy it on Aimé Leon Dore for £155