The New Balance 990v6 MADE in USA Goes Full "Red October"

Among New Balance‘s lineup of lifestyle offerings, the 990v6 holds a lofty position. Its classic grey and black colorways carry on the legacy of the 99X line, it’s been a key piece of the Teddy Santis-curated MADE in USA line, and it’s even served as the centerpiece of a Carhartt WIP collaboration. Now, however, it’s set to release in what may be its most bold colorway yet: an all-red makeup that early, unconfirmed reports indicate may be a Joe Freshgoods collaboration.

From collar to outsole, the colorway is dressed in rich red shades that cover its familiar mix of mesh and suede, while a cushioning setup that makes use of New Balance’s FuelCell and Encap technologies provides time-honored comfort. As only a single, blurry early leak image is available at the time of writing, there are no easily identifiable factors that confirm this pair is indeed a Joe Freshgoods collaboration, but past reports from outlets like Sole Retriever indicated that Freshgoods is set to release an all-blue pair of 990v6s later this year, making this red iteration a fitting counterpart. It’s also worth noting, purely for the sake of speculation, that all-red color schemes were popularized by Freshgoods’ fellow Chicagoan Ye (FKA Kanye West) who kicked off an all-red shoe craze in 2014 with the Air Yeezy 2 “Red October,” the final silhouette released in his partnership with Nike.

The same early reports indicate that this pair — Joe Freshgoods collaboration or otherwise — is set to touch down sometime this August. Stay tuned for more information as it’s made available.