[Update 7 May 2024] Additional images of the Junya Watanabe MAN x New Balance 1906L have surfaced! Explore them in the gallery above and anticipate the release, purported to happen sometime after August 2024. Stay tuned for more updates.

[Update 8 Feb 2024] Detailed shots of the Junya Watanabe MAN x New Balance 1906L loafers have now emerged, revealing an additional “White/Black” colorway. Release dates remain scarce at this time, but each pair is reported to retail at 49,500 JPY (~US$332). Check out the images via the gallery above as we await further updates.

If you’ve been attentive to fashion/sneaker trends recently, you’d know that alternative footwear is one of the biggest ‘in-things’ for fashionistas. From mules to loafers, consumers are pivoting from the staple sneaker or running shoe and looking for something that stands out, and brands cater to that—case in point: this Junya Watanabe MAN x New Balance 1906 loafer.

This isn’t New Balance’s first rodeo with alternative footwear either, having a knack for turning some of their hottest silhouettes into mules. Now, the Boston-based brand is teaming up with Junya Watanabe MAN to transform their popular 1906R into a dress-ready loafer, which made its debut at the latter’s Paris Fashion Week showcase.

In a bit of a Frankenstein experiment, the duo have taken the top half of a traditional loafer and meshed it with the bottom half of the New Balance 1906R. The entire pair is constructed with black leather and rubber, and also sees the “1906R” heel branding replaced with a “1906L” instead. Notably, New Balance’s iconic “N” medial logo is not present. The loafer is rounded off with Junya Watanabe MAN-branded tongue tabs.

Check out an early first look at the Junya Watanabe MAN x New Balance 1906 Loafer. Stay tuned for more updates regarding it’s release date.

In other sneaker-related news, check out the New Balance Fresh Foam BB v2 “Navy/Green”.

Image via @trobrillants & Junya Watanabe