friends-of-mineral-town/drafts/NB574UnNdingGrayDay.md

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

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.