Jaden Smith and New Balance Announce Signature Vision Racer Silhouette
Made of sustainable, vegan-friendly materials and inspired by Jaden’s favorite NB silhouettes: the 1700 and X-Racer.
Although his family may be busy making “entanglement” the most popular buzzword of summer 2020, Jaden Smith is continuing to blaze his own path by presenting his first signature New Balance silhouette: the Vision Racer. Pulling design elements of the youngest Smith son’s favorite New Balances, namely the 1700 and X-Racer, the Vision Racer fuses heritage NB stylings with a compelling construction and plenty of Jaden’s signature flair for the dramatic.
Arriving in a bold “Wavy Baby Blue” colorway, the shoe’s main design feature is provided by the exaggerated proportions of its midsole. Split into three rectangular blocks, this chunky base secures a mesh-and-suede upper that taps elements of both the 1700 and X-Racer. The most notable touch of branding appears under the translucent outsole, thanks to a pink ((VISION)) embellishment that uses the block font from Smith’s SYRE and ERYS albums. There’s also small black ((VISION)) hits that wrap around the upper’s foxing, Smith’s signature on the insoles and a traditional N on the quarter panel, dressed in hi-vis reflective material to match the tongue webbing and upper piping.
It may not be outwardly visible, but sustainability is front and center as well. The upper is crafted of a smorgasbord of recycled styles: its textiles and synthetic leathers are made partially of recycled polyesters that come from post-consumer plastic. Insoles combine everything from castor bean oil to recycled foam and rubber plus virgin polyurethane. The thick midsole works in reground EVA foam. All materials used are also vegan-friendly.
When asked about the collaboration, New Balance Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Merchandising stated:
“Shared values of transforming the status quo; staying true to oneself; giving back to community; and, respecting heritage while co-authoring a distinct future, are the foundation of the relationship between New Balance and Jaden Smith.”
The Jaden Smith x New Balance Vision Racer will release on the New Balance webstore come July 24, and is priced at $150 USD.
For more news on upcoming sneaker releases, check out the latest installment of HYPEBEAST‘s Best Footwear Drops list.
