Style
New Balance’s superb ‘57/40’ shoe gets its greenest and cleanest look yet
Care of streetwear brand Bricks & Woods.
New Balance’s resurgence has been driven in large part not by heavyweight collaborators, but by smaller brands with strong and distinct design sensibilities. Joining the mix now is Bricks & Wood, a black-owned streetwear brand from South Central Los Angeles that epitomizes New Balance’s approach.
Working with New Balance for the first time, Bricks & Wood has done up the “57/40” in lush greens that invoke a perfectly manicured lawn. The updated “574,” which first debuted at the beginning of this year, has never looked better thanks to cream and pink accents to go along with the greenery. Reflective detailing is subtly worked in as well through silver trim beneath the “N” logo, on the mustache, and elsewhere throughout the upper.
Bricks & Wood is known for prioritizing high quality in what it calls “Rarewear,” and that ethos is embodied by the premium pigskin used in the upper. You’re unlikely to find a cleaner and finer sneaker this summer — which is the perfect way to introduce the South Central brand to a new audience.
“From South Central With Love” — Bricks & Wood and New Balance will release a small apparel capsule to go along with kicks. “From South Central With Love” is the tagline appearing across a co-branded T-shirt and tote bag.
Founder Kacey Lynch is passionate about bringing South Central to the rest of the world through his clothing, and the New Balance collab helps paint a more rounded picture of the L.A. neighborhood. To bring it all home, the brand will host its very first standalone pop-up today at 2500 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Not only will it be the first chance to cop goods from the NB collab, but there will also be free tacos.
After today’s pop-up, there will be two more chances for those outside to purchase the collection, including the 57/40 going for $140. Bricks & Woods will first sell the capsule on its website at 12 p.m. PT Friday, June 28, and a global release through New Balance will follow on June 4.
If this is the first time you’ve become hip to Bricks & Wood, there’s no excuse to sleep now.
