A Wonderful Workwear Makeover for New Balance’s “Dunk” Skate Shoe
The New Balance 480 is a heritage basketball shoe engineered into a hardwearing skateboarding model. Soundly approved by skaters of all levels and loved by sneakerheads alike, this silhouette is just as timeless as skateboarding itself.
Everything starts with a reinforced toe cap and layered paneling to add toughness, while a classic gum outsole provides enhanced grip and essential board feel. Meanwhile, midsole cushioning keeps landings smooth, making those stair sets and ledges a little more forgiving. (As I said, it's a properly engineered skate shoe.)
For its newest release, the New Balance Numeric 480 is reimagined in a deep mustard color with gloriously textured suede and contrasting black accents.
These basketball sneakers turned skate shoes are the work of New Balance Numeric, a skate-focused diffusion line that brought the 480 back from the archives last year.
Founded 12 years ago in Long Beach, California—far from its parent company’s Boston headquarters—Numeric has built a reputation for technical innovation and a stacked roster of skaters, including Jamie Foy, Thiago Lemos, and Brandon Westgate. With skate legend Andrew Reynolds set to drop his own signature NB model, 2025 is shaping up to be a defining year for the brand.
The 480’s transformation mirrors that of the Nike Dunk as another basketball-born silhouette that skateboarding fully embraced. With its vintage appeal, updated durability, and skate-ready tweaks, the 480 cements New Balance’s growing presence in the skateboarding world while keeping one foot firmly planted in its sportswear heritage.
The New Balance's 480 "Workwear" colorway , available on New Balance official web store for $100, is proof that classics don’t fade but they do evolve.
