New Balance 1906R x AURALEE

Throughout the early 2020s, Japanese fashion label Auralee teamed up with New Balance on several stylish collections of the East Coast shoe brand’s most beloved silhouettes. Having already worked on one heritage runner in 2022 (the returning 2002R), Auralee’s visionary founder, Ryota Iwai, brought his humble, slow-fashion approach to the New Balance 1906R in 2023. Known for designing elegant, timeless apparel made from high-quality materials in carefully considered tones, Iwai crafted two minimalist colorways that honored the functional nature of the model while also bringing it an elevated feeling of style and sophistication.

The elegant craftsmanship on this New Balance 1906R x AURALEE design delivers a sophisticated sneaker with a captivating minimalist esthetic. Its upper is constructed from an open-cell mesh in a light, neutral shade with Bone White panels made of high-quality suede laid across it. Subtle contrasts come in the form of Mojave Desert accents, whose gentle tones appear on the forefoot overlay, the dual-branded insoles and parts of the midsole. More sandy browns produce complementary highlights throughout the shoe, including on the tongue, where they accentuate the New Balance branding. A series of comfort-giving features have been added to the sole unit, with hard-wearing Ndurance rubber on the blue gray outsole and both ABZORB and N-ergy cushioning inside the midsole for a highly supportive underfoot experience. A rigid heel counter holds the back of the foot in place as its glossy surface glimmers in the light. On the flanks, the classic N logo also serves as part of the N-lock lacing system to offer excellent lockdown. Plush pastel green terry cloth lines the interior in an understated expression of AURALEE’s design philosophy, which ultimately comes to define this graceful sneaker.