Building on the legacy of the 990 saga, New Balance 9060 takes a retro approach with a futuristic twist.
9060, built on the legacy of the 990 saga
Designing a new model for a brand with over a century of history is a complex process. Designers Yue Wu and James Lee attempted to avoid mashups and obvious references to the Boston-based brand’s classics with the New Balance 9060, while also leveraging all of its history to create something entirely new. The result is a sneaker that deviates from the norm.
The NB 9060 was to be the next step in an evolution that had begun with the 327, inspired by the 1970s and the NB 320 silhouette, and continued with the 57/40, inspired by the 1980s and 1990s, based on the 574 and 576 models. The 990 series served as the starting point for the design’s evolution in the 2000s, with technical lines now recovered as a contemporary style.
Designers Wu and Lee were very clear about the references. They had previously worked on 2002 and 860V2, so they were familiar with the technology and lines at the time. The challenge was bringing them into the current context.
Objective: movement
Aside from obvious pieces and lines, the designers were inspired by a recurring theme in the 990 saga: movement. The process involved determining which element of each shoe in the 990 series provided that dynamism and amplifying its shapes to give it volume, exaggerating the forms that set each model apart. Sways bars, motion control pieces, new textures and wavy lines were complemented by an equally oversized midsole that includes ABZORB to enhance performance and give it an athletic look.
No easter eggs could be missing, such as the translucent stabiliser, which appears in 991, 992, 993, and 994, the triangular piece on the tongue, reminiscent of the ABZORB insert in the front of the 991’s midsole, or the diamond pattern on the outsole, which amplifies something that already appeared in the 860v2.
New Balance 9060, a new expression
The end result is that the New Balance 9060 is a versatile and multifunctional silhouette that adapts well to any style, retro or contemporary, and situation, thanks to comfort-focused technology.
A new expression that redefines the brand’s style and reinterprets elements with a fresh sensibility, as forward-thinking as the Y2K aesthetic was at the time. A balance that Aimé Leon Dore, Salehe Bembury, and Joe Freshgoods recognised from the start to launch their collaborations, which were later joined by Mowalola, The Whitaker Group (the company on which A Ma Maniére and Social Status rely), Bodega, and Eladio Carrión.
The 9060 is available in various editions and colors at FOOTDISTRICT.
