New Balance’s Minimalist Tennis Shoe Looks Best Off-Court
New Balance’s T500 shoe made its long-awaited comeback into the world of sneakers in 2023 by way of an Aimé Leon Dore collaboration.
A shoe New Balance describes as “a nod to modern quiet luxury” in a press release, the ALD T500 was unveiled back in September as a part of its Fall/Winter 2023 collection and was showcased by tennis champ and NB ambassador Coco Gauff
The T500, which first dropped way back in 1982, is a no-nonsense tennis sneaker that is now finally re-releasing as a New Balance mainline shoe this season.
With its pigskin suede, nubuck construction, and Dunk-like perforated toe-box, the New Balance T500 is very similar-looking to the Boston-based brand’s popular 480 skate sneaker, also released in 2024, but for a few small tweaks.
For starters, NB T500 is sleeker looking thanks mostly to its vulcanized sole reminiscent of older tennis models. The shoe also arrives in a super-clean "Arctic Grey" colorway, which always makes for an objectively good-looking shoe.
Not only does New Balance’s T500 look great, but it also fulfils the unique requirements of athletic footwear in 2024.
Meaning that New Balance'sT500 has all the techy specs to perform on the court, but aesthetically it reflects the refined leisure that tennis is known for.
The NB T500, available on New Balance's website and the Highsnobiety Shop from March 14, was built to fulfil this dual set of requirements, and the same things that made it a great tennis shoe in 1982 — premium materials and elegant simplicity — are why it still hits the spot today.
Truth is, New Balance's whole ethos is about revamping old silhouettes for a modern day consumer. Everything from its extensive 990 sneaker series to its 550 is steeped in history, but has been rejigged in a contemporary way.
Take the 990v6 as an example: a sixth iteration of on a shoe first released back in 1982. But, such is the sneaker's ongoing popularity, it's undergone no less than six makeovers over the past forty-years, with plenty more to come.
Of course, I'm not saying the T500 is going to have as many revamps as the 990, but this 2024 release is certainly a start.
But I get it, the New Balance tennis sneaker does look like the popular 480 skate shoe and, quite honestly, bear all the same hallmarks as it, just remember: the T500 is a great sneaker in its own right and this year it's having its own moment. You mark my words.
