---
title: "New Balance 574 Un-N-ding (Grey Day 2021)"
date: 2021-09-17T15:40:54-04:00
categories: [shoes, new balance]
tags: [574, grey]
draft: true
---

![New Balance 574 Un-N-ding [Grey]](/images/birkenstockarizonastock.jpg)

New Balance's popularity can in no doubt be at least partially attributed to 
a loyal fanbase that grows through word-of-mouth. Any New Balance fan will 
tell you about how New Balance's sneakers are both made with higher quality 
materials and more comfortable to wear than nearly anything put out by Nike 
or Adidas at the same price point, and they are absolutely right. My dad 
loved New Balance sneakers, and for a long time, I couldn't shake the feeling 
that they felt dated, even when they were new. 

However, with the explosion of "dad shoes" like the Nike Air Monarch IV, the 
"vintage" appeal of trainers that look like they once belonged in the 90s now 
feels almost timelessly reinvigorated. Perhaps that's just how trends have to 
be filtered; when a previous decade's fashions seem too outlandish, you just 
wait for the inevitable revival that leaves behind a lot of the trends that 
don't get to come back as "vintage". 

Regardless of my newfound appreciation for sneakers that look like they came 
from an era where everyone wanted Nike Air Maxs, I've still never grown fond 
of the big N logo on most of New Balance's shoes. I'm sure you can tell I was 
excited when I learned that an "Un-N-ding" variant (which omits the N, if it 
wasn't obvious) was releasing for 2021's "Grey Day" collection, New Balance's 
made-up annual tradition for releasing a somewhat "special" set of shoes in 
the celebrated warm grey tone they've been using for decades. 
