AURALEE & New Balance Drop Beautifully Minimalist 1906R Shoe

Almost a year after AURALEE gave us a taste of its latest New Balance collaboration on the Fall/Winter 2023 runway, the collaborative shoe is finally hitting the shelves. The minimalist Japanese brand utilized a calming pastel palette this past season, which it now brings to New Balance’s 1906R sneaker. 

The AURALEE x New Balance 1906R collab, available October 11 via New Balance’s website, will be offered in beige and blue colorways.

The AURALEE x New Balance 1906R features a washed suede and nubuck upper and a wax-treated outsole that gives the shoe a vintage, lived-in look. A closer look at the monochromatic sneaker reveals subtle details that add depth, like the beige’s lime green lining and stitching supported by a burnt yellow sole. The icy blue, meanwhile, is contrasted by grey and cream accents.

Both shoes come with two lace choices to swap out to your heart’s content, of course. 

The 1906R was first introduced by NB in 2009 and reissued in 2022 with some quality-of-life improvements, mainly extra cushioning and TPU webbing for strength. AURALEE is giving the shoe yet another facelift, turning a technical running shoe into a daily driver.

The dad shoe renaissance is going strong, and New Balance’s recent sneaker drops are making me excited.

Not only did the sportswear giant score two Taylor Swift cosigns in recent weeks, as she eases into the NFL girlfriend role, but New Balance also recently joined forces with the likes of Carhartt WIP, Miu Miu, and sneaker retailer KITH in less than a month. AURALEE x New Balance is another win.