New Balance’s Deliciously Minimalist Sneaker Has Major BSE (Big Samba Energy)
Slim sneakers are still very much the mood this fall, and New Balance is making the most of the flat shoe hype this season.
The proof? New Balance's RC42 sneaker, which is low key in just about every way. The RC42 is the latest from New Balance's Racing and Competition (RC) line, and the RC42 proves that less is more — at least when it comes to flat shoe trends.
The RC42 was initially previewed during Paris Fashion Week 2023 in collaboration with Junya Watanabe, mixing textured suede and creamy leather.
Where the runway saw a monochromatic black colorway, though, New Balance recently released some new prep-tatsic colorways for the RC42, including a "Marsh" green and a "Sea Salt" white pair, each for $100 on New Balance's website. Less goth, more posh, if you will.
For the fashion forward, there is also a futuristic metallic colorway, that mirrors the chromed-out goodness of the silver Wales Bonner adidas Samba.
Not as buzzy as its fellow flat shoe comrades, like the adidas Gazelle, New Balance's RC42 still holds its own amongst the big dawgs of the flat-shoe game.
A sueded-out blend of nostalgia and charm, the New Balance RC42 doesn't have to make a statement to get its message across: No one does classic shoes like New Balance does classic shoes.
The RC42's flat and gummy sole keeps things subdued and minimal, a considerable change of pace from New Balance's RC30, which sports an armadillo-esque ultra-rippled sole. And like with the RC42, Junya Watanabe also released a collaborative collection of RC30 sneakers. Big fan of ultra-flat New Balances, this guy.
While the RC30 is more cleat than adidas-esque football shoe, the New Balance RC42 is so Samba-coded that Wales Bonner's ears are probably ringing right now.
Ok, so maybe not literally, but the RC42 is definitely a mega-flat sneaker to watch.
