Levi’s® has been a staple brand of denim jeans for over 150 years and a fashion statement for almost as long. The brand has partnered with numerous other industries over the years, one of the more recent being the Levi’s X Stranger Things capsule in mid-2019. In addition to this, the company has also partnered with a number of sneaker brands over the years, a notable mention being the highly popular Levi’s® x Jordan collection in 2018. Levi’s has once again partnered with an iconic sneaker brand in the form of New Balance. The new Levi’s X New Balance collaboration celebrates 35 years since the New Balance 1300 model first hit shelves.
Levi’s® and New Balance are two brands that have a lot in common, with both being American companies founded over 100 years ago. In addition to this, both the brands were founded on solving particular problems in the clothing available at the time, with Levi’s providing durable workwear in the form of its denim jeans, while New Balance developed comfortables insole for shoes. With such rich histories in the clothing industry, it only made sense the two brands would partner for the celebration of the New Balance 1300 with a redesigned silhouette.
The new 1300 sneaker features a construction using a combination of Levi’s® back patch-coloured suede, as well as the limited White Oak XX52 denim. The White Oak Mill closed its doors at the end of 2017, which meant the material had to be sourced from Levi’s limited stockpile, making it quite a rare and unique combination. As am authentic American sneaker, the 1300 sneaker was manufactured in Skowhegan, Maine, one of five New Balance manufacturing plants in the area.
Along with the mixed denim materials on the upper, it also includes a variety of orange accents, which extends to the Levi’s orange tab on the outside of the left foot. The sneaker features a number of finer details, including a White Oak woven label on the tongue, along with a special hashtag and “Levi’s® for feet” logo, which was inspired by the New Balance archives. The sneakers are packaged in a special-edition orange and tan collector’s box, in keeping with its limited-edition theme.
The Levi’s X New Balance 1300 will be available at New Balance Canal Walk, Shelflife and X-trend Sandton City from 26 March 2020.
