Tetsuya Shono | New Balance : Interview by Tom Scott

Looking to Japan for inspiration and undiscovered gems, it was inevitable that footwear would come into the equation. Few things give a more direct insight into a brand’s view of itself than their footwear choices and affiliations.

The loafers, brogues, moccasins and mountain boots are no surprise to fans of the understated looks purveyed by the likes of United Arrows and Nonnative, but their New Balance choices have always caught us off guard. Why are the Steve Jobs friendly 99x series and other models like the 1700 more popular with these brands compared to more minimal styles like the 576 or 670? I spoke to Tetsuya Shono (Men’s Lifestyle product manager at New Balance Japan) to try to gain some insight into the tastes of this section of their market.

As you may know, the Japanese customer always pays attention to detail and the quality and story behind the shoe is important to them. They recognise that New Balance products have all these points.

In New Balance’s golden age of the 80s and 90s, we had many UK or US made heritage shoes like the 99x series and 1700 released. These models built confidence in the brand at that time in Japan and that has been maintained today.

It’s difficult to explain, but I think of it like the phenomenon of certain Japanese denim brands that have a similar following with trendsetters around the World. Denim is denim but has nice detail, silhouette and quality.

Or you could view New Balance the same way as traditional American brands like Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, Levi’s and so on. The product itself is normal, like just general clothes, but still has good profile in the fashion market because they keep their history and quality.

If you ever wondered, now you know.

United Arrows 20th Anniversary New Balance 1700:

Nonnative New Balance 1700: