New Balance Japan Drops Limited M1530 in Randomized Colorways
Those who buy the 30th anniversary Sample Lab shoes won’t be able to tell what colorway they’re purchasing.
Collectible New Balance models generally involve a collaborator or two, with particularly in-demand models even reissued on occasion. New Balance Japan’s latest release, however, is a purely in-house affair, with no other parties needed to make the all-new M1530 more covetable than it already is.
Devised as part of the New Balance 1500‘s 30th Anniversary celebration, the footwear company has devised a very limited Sample Lab collection that encompasses a limited edition of shoes. Each Made in the UK model features a randomly-selected colorway, which is then packaged in an opaque plastic bag to hide the makeup, meaning that each customer will be in the dark about the shoe they’re receiving until they’ve paid for it. Each shoe is either a 1500 or new M1530; the latter is a new model that celebrates the anniversary with a subtly-elevated take on the 1500, complete with new toe embroidery and a single-piece midsole.
New Balance Roppongi will host a drop of only 24 pieces on July 20, the exact day that the 1500 debuted in 1989, with each random sneaker retailing for ¥30,000 JPY (approximately $280 USD). A more expansive global rollout will follow.
Most recently, the 997 and 998 received bold, clashing makeovers.
