The 25 Best New Balance Sneakers of 2013

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The Giro d'Italia is a grueling cycling race through Italy, and New Balance commemorated the event with a super limited pair of 574s. Pink suede isn't for everyone, but New Balance was able to pull the sneakers together and form something killer.

New Balance has been an American rebel in sneakers because of its will to still produce shoes in the U.S. when every other major brand collectively said, "We're out." It's not that crazy an idea to give hard-working people a chance to manufacture a quality product, but it rings true to New Balance. The brand gave one of its most-noted silhouettes, the 998, a red makeover.

The New Balance MT580 is best described as "chunky but funky." It has a thick midsole and built to stop pronating. It's not the slimmest sneaker, but New Balance did its best job to make to appeal to fans of lightweight runners by infusing Revlite technology. The sneakers weigh next to nothing, and the off-white suede with blue hints was the best color scheme out of all those that released.

Stone Island is a high-end Italian brand that makes super expensive jackets built to survive the elements. That's why the brand's collaboration with New Balance on two pairs of 577s worked so well. The sneakers took cues from Stone Island jackets, and were available in orange and grey. The contrast of the two colors shows the two different directions that New Balance is going in: remaining true to its core customers with high-quality and products and knowing when to show a touch of flash. The sneakers also featured a jacket drawing on the tongue patch and were only sold at Stone Island retailers.

United Arrows is known for its New Balance collabs, even creating the 997.5, and Beauty & Youth is an offshot of the Japanese brand. It took a the 1700, that most un-collaborated on, and gave it a black and brown makeover. It's weird to think of brown as a pop color, but it somehow works here.

New Balance 1500s used to be something only people with connects to Europe or Japan got. The sneaker expanded to the States, but Japan's United Arrows made sure that Japan heads stayed laced with the hottest version of the model. Its 1500 was so simple. It had a monotone suede upper in tan. One color works best when it's something that's unexpected but plays well with everything. 

Philadelphia is a city of many things: Rowdy sports fans, fattening food, sweatpants, and American history. The city's sneaker boutique, Ubiq, channeled its forefather, Benjamin Franklin, and made a buttery pair of 1600s. "The Benjamin" had a roaring red suede toebox and a blue suede heel. But the highlight of the sneaker is the brown suede highlights, that harken back to Benjamin Franklin's personal attire. It would be interesting to see what collaboration the "Water-American'' would create himself.

Japan's Oshman's made the 1600 dope for those who don't need the geriatric benefits, with a mostly indigo makeover. Gold-colored eyelets and red hit on the toe were what made the Oshman's x New Balance 1600s remarkable. They dropped at a time when people were scrambling to grab other releases, but still sold out quickly.

Engineered Garments is one of the best brands in menswear right now. The Japanese company has a no-fucks-given approach to making clothes, and it has resulted in an aesthetic that pairs unlikely components with uniquely shaped silhouettes. The brand's Vans collaboration were major this year, but its New Balance 993s were great too. Different shades of suede gave the sneaker's left and right sides totally different looks. But they still looked eerily the same. It takes a different type of guy to wear the Engineered Garments x New Balance collaboration, but its a much welcomed (slight) change to a brand that remains consistent.

The Good Will Out is one of Germany's lesser known but steadily rising sneaker boutiques. It's located in Cologne, so it doesn't get as much attention internationally, but it celebrated Germany's high speed highway, the Autobahn, with two pairs of 577s. The sneakers had the highway across the tongue, and came in a grey and blue and black and red pair. The sneakers couldn't be more opposite, colorway wise, but still meshed together for a cohesive collection.

Japan is known for next-level design, and its only right that New Balance gave the Tokyo Marathon an insane sneaker this year. Instead of going the classic route, New Balance marked-up a pair of 890s, a technical running sneaker, for the event. And they came in an obtrusive shade of turquoise and were awesome. Most people check for New Balance for the brand's back catalogue, but these sneakers proved that the new stuff can be just as fresh.

Boston is home to New Balance, and one of its best shops, Ball and Buck, had its second crack at designing a pair of Made in USA 574s. Ball and Buck isn't a sneaker store. It sells American-made goods and hunting-inspired menswear. But its vision for the 574 had sneaker enthusiasts--who have no clue what duck canvas is--lining up around the block on Newbury Street because its green-and-camp sneakers were that good.

The story goes: Joe Louis, a historic native of Detroit, used to take violin lessons before he became a boxer. He sold his violin to pay for boxing lessons, and used to hide his boxing gloves in the violin case so his mother didn't know that he was knocking dudes out. Another Detroit legend, Burn Rubber, used this back story for one of the best New Balance 577s of the year. The sneakers came in a black and brown leather upper, and were so simple. But the degree of execution is what made the collaborative 577 appeal to heads.

Ronnie Fieg is known for designing simplistic running sneakers into something that even non-running fans can dig. His work with ASICS has made him a sneaker legend, but on Cyber Monday, he dropped an understated pair of New Balances 577s. The sneakers were titled "Americana," and came in a mostly blue suede with red and white highlights. The sneakers seem like something New Balance would put out on its own, but Fieg's touch is what pushed the creative boundaries of the sneaker even further.

Concepts had so many good sneaker collabs this year--especially with New Balance--that it's easy to forget that the Cambridge, Mass. shop had a killer pack of three 574s inspired by the Northern Lights. Now, it would be a stretch to say that you actually see the Northern Lights in the outskirts of Boston, but the sneakers bright and premium suede uppers with glow-in-the-dark outsoles are a winning combination regardless of inspiration.

The Boston Marathon ended in tragedy this year, and it's easy--or unimportant--to remember that New Balance designed one of its best 993s for the race. But the Boston-based brand outfitted its pigskin suede running silhouette with a purple upper and pigeon-like outsole. It's easily one of the best color schemes that's ever been on a 993. It just sucks that they have to be remembered with heavy hearts.

It's hard to believe that Boston's Bodega has never collaborated with New Balance before, but there's a first time for everything. And the 577 HYPRCAT was a full-speed attempt at making the shop and brand's ideas work together. Bodega has always been on the flashier but refined side of street culture, and its 577 came in a tan suede with pink, blue, and purple highlights. It was the perfect balance to represent New Balance's reserved nature as a brand and Bodega's want to move everything forward. It also didn't hurt that these sneakers were co-signed by Action Bronson, either.

The latest addition to this list is one of the best. Chicago's Saint Alfred took a holiday-inspired concept of an all-red suede New Balance 1500 and made it work. The suede on the sneaker is so hairy, and its gumsole is perfectly placed against an all-white midsole. Unlike a Fair Isle sweater, these kicks can be worn a holiday party or all-year round.

Denmark's Norse Projects has an insane cult following amongst stylish guys. That's because the brand makes clothes that are useful in a dreary climate like Scandinavia, but are also cool enough to wear anywhere else. Its collaboration with New Balance on two pairs of 1500s, titled the "Danish Weather Pack," had guys in the U.S. who don't lose their mind over sneakers going insane. The sneakers sold out within a blink of an eye, and only recently surfaced at other shops online. The sneakers' moody brown or navy uppers proved that Made in England New Balances are always done to perfection.

The MT580 got its start as an exclusive to Asia, and this year, Hong Kong's Fingercroxx had one of those most obscure, but best New Balance collaborations. The sneakers came in a tan suede and camo print on the liner and laces. It was complemented by a green Rollbar on the instep. All in all, these sneakers weren't easy to get a hold of, and finding a pair now requires paying a serious reseller price.

New Balance made the 990 the first running sneaker that retailed for $100. This year, the sneaker returned, but New Balance didn't do much to it. The brand kept the sneaker in its original shape and color wheelhouse, and dropped the 990 in black. They can be worn with anything, are made from pigskin suede, and won't fall apart.

For those who don't know, The Tannery is where Concepts was born. Concepts was the lifestyle arm of The Tannery, which is a premium sneaker store in Boston and nearby Cambridge, Mass. To celebrate 30 years of The Tannery being the OG in the Boston footwear game, Concepts made up a special 998. The sneakers weren't like other New Balance releases this year. They had a mint green suede upper. I and orange tongue. It's not something that's seen on New Balance models, or sneakers in general.

Black Friday was insane this year. A lot of sneakers came out, and a lot were mediocre. But Ronnie Fieg and Kith were ahead of the pack, and dropped a New Balance 1600 that played on Fieg's experiences with Daytona Beach and the infamous NASCAR race that the city is known for. The sneaker's suede toe box was insane, and was made even better with premium leathers and shades of pink, tan, and brown. Fieg said himself, this isn't a color combination that he'd seen in sneakers before. Luckily, he had the foresight to take leaps that the competition didn't.

Consider this for a second: Sneaker Freaker was able to transform the way a New Balance 998 looks because of the color blocking it chose for the "Tassie Devils." The Australian-based publication proved choice of materials and placement of panels matter to a sneaker collaboration. It just didn't take the 998 and make it blue or red--which are dope ideas in their own right--but completely changed the way the 998 is viewed. It kept the sneaker relevant to those who only see the 998 as a wardrobe staple for guys who are finding themselves between menswear and streetwear, and it executed its idea with extreme precision. There's a reason that Sneaker Freaker is one of the most trusted voices in sneaker culture, and this collaboration is a shining example.

Concepts is money with its New Balance collaborations, and its concept of the "C-Note" 998-which took its inspiration from the new, multi-colored $100 bill-and kept things 100 percent New Balance in the process. The C-Note's appeal stretched farther than heads who crave limited New Balance releases. Style addicts were also trying to get their mitts on these sneakers. The sole almost looked pre-yellowed, but it wasn't, and the use of off-white suede with royal and brown hits made these sneaker stand out--even if the color scheme seemed subdued.