Running shoes have come a long way from their humble beginnings. Case in point: the Nike Pegasus Premium “Airscape”, slated to release in 2025. Larger budgets over the years have allowed brands to pump more resources into their research and development teams, and consumers have been the primary beneficiaries.

The Nike Pegasus Premium “Airscape”. Image via Nike.

Today’s running shoe boasts superior materials, form, and overall performance and functionality compared to its predecessors. However, this focus initially came about in the 1970s, during the “running boom”, a movement fueled by Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike.

The ‘70s saw the incorporation of sports science (Nike even worked with NASA) and valuable input from podiatrists, resulting in things like ethylene vinyl acetate, or EVA—an air-infused foam—being used to absorb shock and provide cushioning. Flat and uneventful running shoes were quickly a thing of the past.

However, aesthetically, running shoes from the ‘70s to ‘90s were mainly mesh-based, had gaudy colors, and were quintessential “dad shoes”. This worked well for the time period, and for New Balance specifically, their 320, 574, and 990 lines did well.

Concurrently, their more premium lines, like the 1300 and 1500—a flagship MADE in UK model—also found their place within people’s collections. Then, in 1999, the New Balance 1000 was introduced. However, unfortunately, the silhouette didn’t quite fit in either camp.

The New Balance 1000. Image via Rootsbk.net.

The model was an edgier answer to performance running shoes but not premium enough to fit into what is typically expected of the brand’s 1000 line. In other words, it was too edgy for the dads but not fashion-forward enough for the trendsetting contemporaries of the time. The most media attention it got was in a 1999 New Balance running commercial, but that was about it. It didn’t have a big enough fanbase and, consequently, went on a long hiatus.

That is, until this year. Teddy Santis, New Balance’s MADE in USA creative director and founder and creative director of Aimé Leon Dore, selected it to be revived. Santis has always had a knack for revitalizing classics from within New Balance’s archive, which can be seen with the 550, 650, 996, 990v4, and much more.

Teddy Santis, creative director of New Balance MADE in USA. Image via Hypebeast.

Based on his track record, the 1000 will likely achieve much greater success than it did during its debut in 1999. If we may be so bold, we daresay success is guaranteed. Further bolstering this is the fact that Joe Freshgoods, another favorite for New Balance collaborations, is also putting his spin on the silhouette.

That is not to say some great in-line colorways aren’t underway either; the model’s “Metallic Silver” colorway made waves when Santis teased it on his Instagram. Since then, multiple other in-line iterations have surfaced, solidifying the silhouette’s presence and telling the world that it’s back and here to stay.

Have fun browsing through some New Balance 1000 releases available on the SNKRDUNK App below. Which one are you definitely copping?

The best New Balance 1000 models to buy on the SNKRDUNK App:

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