Earlier this year, New Balance and J.League’s FC Tokyo unveiled their new 2022 home and away kit as part of the “Tokyo is Now” campaign. The campaign “reflects on the city’s influence on global culture, as a place of innovation and progressive thinking and encourages young football fans to unite and spread the word.”

Furthering the partnership, they’re set to release a collaborative pair every month, from July through October. This month’s MS327 TKO is a follow-up to the last’s U574 VD2.

The 327 reshapes the design elements of its predecessors, a line that leads all the way to the 1970s when recreational running was establishing its popularity. The design of running shoes then were much simpler, by today’s standards; so this modern-day iteration gets a contemporary reimagining through its angular reworking of the tried-and-true wedge silhouette, outsize, asymmetrically applied ‘N’ branding, and wraparound, trail-inspired lug outsole.

FC Tokyo and New Balance dress this pair in the team’s colors of blue and red evident throughout the upper, with “TOKYO” embedded on both sides of the heel. The photos are sparse as of now so with a limited perspective, there are design elements that may be overlooked.

Nevertheless, onto other important details. Pre-sale will start on 10th August at Keio Department Store Shinjuku with a wider release on the 12th through the New Balance and FC Tokyo web store.

Here’s another NB collaboration that’s worth checking out: size? x New Balance 1906R.