New Balance Launches Beefy PRJ 2.0 Sneaker

New Balance‘s classic running silhouettes are rarely the subject of an all-encompassing makeover — consider the subtly-tweaked New Balance 1530 that the American sneaker giant debuted for the 1500’s 30th anniversary. For the second iteration of New Balance’s program, however, newer NB silhouettes were fair game for Design Foundry Apprentices, with a plethora of young designers flipping the conventional sneakers on their head.

Using the Fresh Foam More as a design base — a new cushioned silhouette in New Balance’s performance-driven Fresh Foam sneaker family — 23-year-old Apprentice designer Adara Dillabough created the PRJ 2.0 and won the judges’ vote. The tall sneaker boasts the More’s midsole, with an upper inspired in equal part by space flight and science-fiction films. Despite the futuristic looks and fashion-forward design, the PRJ 2.0 retains the performance-driven functionality of the Fresh Foam More.

Offered in two bright iterations, both PRJ 2.0 silhouettes sport a beefy white midsole, with a gradient-hued geometric pattern printed directly above. A grid pattern informs the breathable upper, sitting beneath panels of lightweight mesh and white/pink leather, depending on the colorway. Running across the upper, a strip of branded New Balance tape offers a graphic complement to the tongue, executed in either black/pink or orange/pink/beige with yellow laces. Tonal pull tabs make it easy to slide on the progressive running shoe.

The first sneaker is still available on New Balance’s site — stay tuned for Dillabaugh’s PRJ 2.0 design to launch on the site and at boutiques like Bodega, Extra Butter and Heartbreak Hill Run Co. on March 9 for $180 USD.

Most recently, New Balance teamed with thisisneverthat for a seasonal running capsule.