Riding, Not Wearing: Shunsuke Ishikawa Walks Through All 15 Pairs of New Balance's 99X Series

Why do sneaker lovers choose New Balance? Why do fashion people keep coming back to New Balance? Why do people who work on their feet say New Balance is the best? The answer lies in this one series. Today, we're going to thoroughly break down New Balance's 99X series. ENCAP, C-CAP, ABZORB — we'll explain the technologies you never quite understood, too. The series that packs in New Balance's very essence — watch this video and you'll understand it all.

We don't wear New Balance — we ride it. Hello everyone, I'm fashion designer and New Balance-wearer of thirty-odd years, Shunsuke Ishikawa. — Thirty-odd years. — It's been thirty-odd years. Today, the sneaker I've worn most in my whole life — let's talk at length about New Balance.

— Eddie-san, had you worn New Balance? — Well, since this channel started, on your recommendation I got the 990v6. — v6. The newest — you bought it right away. Before that you'd barely worn any New Balance at all. — Oh, is that so. Right, right. New Balance has a nice ride, doesn't it? — Yes.

Today I've got New Balances lined up — what's called the 99X series, excluding the 1000s, the series New Balance puts the most effort into developing. The secrets embedded in New Balance — I'd like to dig into that today.

There were about three questions I raised at the start. Why do sneaker lovers choose New Balance? — True, in the end everyone comes to New Balance, don't they. — And on top of that, fashion people, even after drifting away, come back to New Balance. You think 'I've stopped wearing them much,' then you're wearing New Balance again, drift away, and come back once more — like a family home, maybe. — There's that sense of it, with age. — Another is that people who work on their feet, or who walk a lot, end up saying New Balance really is the best. I'd like to unravel these secrets too, but first let me just give the answers to these three up front.

First, why do sneaker lovers choose New Balance — the reason, after all, is in the design, I think. In the '80s it was this type of sneaker — a bit dowdy. — Even back then it felt a little dowdy. — So it really was? — Say, a dowdiness like a suede leather shoe, there's that feel. But this suited late-'80s Americans incredibly well, and that seriously-made feel — the New Balance that first started appearing in the media — that's the vibe it pushed hard, so that was a big part of why it caught on.

Why do fashion lovers come back to New Balance — the second question. First it was around here, or before that the 1300, the 576 — the models that represent New Balance. And in that flow you'd end up at the 996 and around here, but just when that heat cooled off, in the bigger current the dad-shoe wave came, and the sneakers lined up over this way — 'a bit middle-aged-uncle-ish but cool, right?' — that sneaker boom came, and they fit right into it. Then just when it drifted off again, the collab boom hit, and the fashion people lined up around here rushed back to New Balance all at once — that kind of flow, especially the 990v3 series, and the 992, 993 — that later collab boom was a few years ago, and there they come back again. At the root of it is that New Balance makes good sneakers, I think, and onto that the fashion people's return-flow rides nicely. And 'that one I used to wear, I want to wear it again' — that kind of flow arises, and everyone ends up back in New Balance, that's the second.

And third — why do people who work on their feet say New Balance is best? — it's the comfort, after all. It ties into the origins of New Balance as a shoe brand, a sneaker maker — heel stability and arch support really are excellent, and that's there, so it becomes a shoe that doesn't tire you out — a sneaker. Unlike so-called leather shoes — of course leather shoes have good cushioning too — but you end up at this. I love it. I haven't been able to go lately, but there's a Spanish restaurant I love, and talking with the chef there — for standing work it's got to be New Balance. Chefs are on their feet and move around a bit, right? Other sneakers just won't do — it's got to be New Balance, they said, so it's a sneaker even professionals who stand for a living rave about. That ties into what New Balance the sneaker had from the very start — that's what I'd like to explain around here.

Before I introduce specific sneakers, just one more thing — let's do a bit of New Balance history. New Balance was originally founded in 1906 — right at the start of the 20th century — originally as a maker of arch supports, meaning insoles and supports that hold up the arch of the foot — that's its origin, so it's a company that seriously thought about foot support from the beginning — that's New Balance. In this lineage, shoe lovers will think of one more — from the same Massachusetts — namely Alden, I think. On the leather-shoe side, Alden started doing arch support in earnest after buying a medical-device, orthopedic-shoe maker in the 1950s, so in that sense New Balance is older, historically. Its founder, William Riley, watched a chicken standing on its three-pronged foot, thought about that balance, and named the company New Balance — a new balance — that's how the company New Balance came about. So making a shoe that doesn't tire you even over long hours is, in a sense, only natural — that's the very thing they aimed for from the start.

The first so-called ready-made sneaker they made was the 1960s Trackster — that was the first, pretty much a leather sneaker. From there it evolved, and in between there was the 320, the famous jogging shoe — I actually had this. — Originally it didn't have the 'N' on it. — The first 320 didn't have the 'N'? — It didn't. At first it just had two slits here. The 320. A year later the 'N' was added. I had that two-slit one, but it's gone missing. In 1982 the 99X model numbers we're introducing today first appeared —

that was the first shoe, the 990 came out. Before that there was the 1300 — still reissued, the Japanese one, once a year — and more outdoors, what we'd now call trail-running, the 576, which became a huge boom in Japan from the late 1980s and made the brand known. — Ishikawa-san, when it boomed you were there in real time. — Super real-time. So with the 1300, 576, very much in real time, they started getting covered in magazines and such, and what they said back then was calling the 1300 the Rolls-Royce of the sneaker world, and the comfort really was completely different from other sneakers of the day, so we wore them constantly. The 1300 was expensive, so I didn't buy it first — plenty around me wore it. The 576 was pricey even then. I wore the 576, but — I've got that contrarian, perverse streak — you know Saucony? Now how do you read it — is it 'Saucony'? The one with the S and a round bit of gaffer tape — there was a design that ripped off the 576, and I deliberately wore that instead. — That's contrarian. — 'New Balance is too mainstream, no fun,' I'd say, and Saucony had just cropped up, so I wore that too.

And with the success of the 1300 and such, there was this high-priced-sneaker thing — this guy. And in the 99X series we're introducing today, the 990 — what we now call the 990v1 — appeared. This established the status of the luxury sneaker, coming out with the famous tagline that it was a 990-out-of-1000-points sneaker, at $100 back then, a bit over ¥30,000 in Japan. A pricey sneaker for the '80s. Though '990 out of 1000 points' was surely something a marketing firm dreamed up as a tagline, right? Probably the 990 model number already existed first, is my guess, but a three-digit number — that's what came out around here, that kind of thing. 'Hurry up and introduce the sneakers' — that's the mood, I think, so today I've got 15 pairs lined up — the whole 99X series, every model gathered — that's what I'll introduce today. Though 'which is the best,' 'which do you recommend' — some of you want to hear that first. — Are there people that blunt? — I'd like to introduce my three recommended 99X-series pairs first. — Great.

So the first pair, where is it — Made in USA, the M992, I think. It's the 992 released in 2006. Released 2006. As I said, founded in 1906, so it's a model released to commemorate New Balance's 100th anniversary. Every sneaker here today is Made in USA or Made in the UK — the essence shows there, so of course this is a Made-in-USA model. And this sneaker is one known as Steve Jobs's New Balance, so every businessperson should draw on a bit of Steve Jobs, I think, so this might be the number-one sneaker a businessperson should wear, is how I feel. Design-wise I quite like it too. First, one good thing — probably the smallest 'N' in New Balance history. The first one had an 'N' this big; less than half. — Right. — The newest version, a bit hard to see, but the 'N' is this big — the 990v6, this size. So it's really tiny, isn't it? That the 'N' spec is the smallest New Balance — I love that too, and I'll introduce it later, but this has what's called ABZORB — they call it SBS — ABZORB, the sort of thing like Nike's Air, is in it, and the comfort is really good, with a solid, substantial feel, comfortable, a shoe that doesn't tire you over long hours, and design-wise it's the most complete 99X series too — around here, the 992, 993 are sneakers packed with plenty of technology, and as a first 99X series to buy it's the finest pair, I think. Every businessperson should wear this. — This'll sell like hotcakes. — But some fashion people say 'no, not the 992, the 993,' quite a few. The very last difference between the 992 and 993 for me — this one's 'N' is a bit bigger, so the 992's fine, is how I feel. That's about it.

Next, the second pair — no, the finest 99X series should be chosen from the 990 model number. It started with the 990, and later I'll explain these numbers too, but in that case my top recommendation is the 990v2, I think. As a 990 model number it's the second generation. What's good about it — this one came out in the late '90s, and it feels like a sneaker made with the 21st century in view, keeping the slight dowdiness of the '80s and '90s while making the design futuristic — especially this sole feel, isn't it good? Curves you don't associate with New Balance are put to use, and it feels like they referenced other makers a bit, too — including a sort of kabuki-makeup outline that hadn't been there before, with a line running here — this becomes a design that represents 21st-century New Balance, and on top of that the comfort is incredible. The biggest difference between 20th-century New Balance and 21st-century New Balance — what is it — the upper's soft, enveloping feel when worn was there in the 20th-century ones, that softly-wrapping feel with padding behind the leather, and the last one to retain that is this sneaker, I feel — that comfort, plus the sole going soft with ABZORB in it — that comfort, and a slightly rustic yet futuristic design, you can tell — a sneaker I really love, so this one I chose as the second pair.

Then, let's do the third pair — the third pair ended up being a 990 model number again — the latest 990, the v6. Whether the newest 99X is the best 99X, we get into that — this ties into the whole 'ride' discussion. — Right, that's still unresolved. — But it's a really easy-to-walk-in sneaker, with a modern comfort — a 99X series that feels like it finally arrived there, so with the tech called FuelCell, this 990v6, once you try it on, it's a 'this is good, isn't it' sneaker. Whether it's the best, I'll leave to your judgment, but from the flow of HOKA and the like, soft, springy sneakers came to be wanted, and the 990 series, which originally developed as a jogging shoe — nowadays the sneakers truly for people who do sports — these have been handed off to a different model number, and it's leaned more toward lifestyle. But even so, this one has a sense of reclaiming some of those jogging elements once more, including that. And as I'll discuss later, it's a sneaker that's drawn a lot of criticism, too, though. — Is that so? — I too thought at first I wouldn't buy it. — Really? — Yes. And that it's gotten cheaper-looking than before — I really get why people say that. And yet, the comfort — wearing it, you end up thinking 'this is good,' and when I know I'll have to walk around all day, I quite naturally end up choosing the 990v6, so there are times I decide to go with the v6 — that's how easy-to-walk-in a shoe it's become, I think. In that sense, if you're buying now, it's the most recommended sneaker, is where it lands. — I bought mine on your recommendation too, and I was surprised — the comfort is different, isn't it, from HOKA. — 'From HOKA' meaning in the HOKA sense,

I'm including that. And one thing I really think — the thinking about the heel hold changed a little, I feel — the arch-to-heel hold is better than before. Before, there was more of a 'cinch it firmly around here' feel, whereas this one — the heel hold, the heel cup and such, have gotten quite firm, and rather than cinching at the collar here, it holds the heel itself from the arch — that's gotten stronger. But some people say their heel lifts, though for me this fixes the heel the most firmly, and compared to earlier sneakers the heel-lift is clearly reduced, so in that sense too it's easy to walk in. Heel-lift is tiring — your heel wobbles as you walk — and that being held down makes it a very easy-to-walk-in shoe, I think. That's a real evolution. And from around here, probably Aimé Leon Dore's Teddy Santis — the Made in USA that they're involved in designing — it's said they're probably already in from around here. Now they're the creative director, after all, so that's a feature of this series too. So it's a pair that pointed the direction of 2020s New Balance, I think.

— Can I talk a bit about the technology? — Technology, yes. — This is what determines New Balance's ride, the technology. — 'Ride' — what's that? — As for the 'ride,' it won't get fully resolved by the end, so just let it wash over you. — Let it wash over me. — First, with the series here, the 99X series is basically Made in USA and Made in the UK. There are six factories in all, I think, and this is New Balance's thinking — a factory in the next room is easier to quality-control than one on the next continent, which is at the root of New Balance's thinking. And there's a standard for calling something Made in USA, apparently — a 70% domestic-value content. This 'domestic value' — some of the materials are of course imported — whether you can call it 'some,' I'm not sure, there's quite a lot of import — and New Balance acknowledges that. By the US FTC — the Federal Trade Commission — standard, originally it apparently has to be entirely US-made to say Made in USA, but around the '90s, in a consumer test, 67% of respondents said that if 70% or more is used, calling it Made in USA is fine — and on that basis New Balance calls this Made in USA, apparently. Whereas these days Made in Japan or Made in Italy is mostly done overseas with just one part done somewhere and still labeled Made in Japan or Italy, so compared to that it's quite conscientious, I think. Especially the 99X series is properly made with all sorts of tech, Made in USA and Made in England, so the grade of the construction is a class above the Asia-made ones — you'll be able to feel that.

And one more thing about New Balance that's very confusing — the technical talk, all these terms come up — let me just do a quick glossary in the order they appeared, by history, I think. — Please. — ENCAP, C-CAP — those terms that come up a lot. First, before ENCAP and C-CAP were named — in the 990 era, what did they call it? By this time ENCAP was already coming into use, but this — first, the sole is made of polyurethane — and this part attached here — New Balance often has this, to stabilize — this is called the Motion Control Device. — Cool name. — Such a small part with a really cool name, right? This basically stabilizes the heel, and the heel turning outward or

inward — that motion is a big problem especially for joggers — so it's a part that properly suppresses that. Then, coming later — can you see it written here? Can you see it written around here — it says ENCAP. — I know the term. — So-called EVA, an elastic material, is wrapped in the hard polyurethane. Basically, EVA alone would just squish sideways and crumple, but by putting polyurethane around it, it springs back — a double-layer part is what they call ENCAP. However, polyurethane's biggest problem — this, the biggest problem New Balance fans agonize over, is that this hydrolyzes. — Huh. — It crumbles, the surround crumbles away — that's the problem. And what came out to develop past that, hidden inside so you can't see it, is what's called C-CAP — you've not heard of this either. C-CAP. What's C-CAP — it's EVA, but compression-molded EVA, using no polyurethane — light, resistant to soaking, and doesn't hydrolyze, those are its traits. It's combined with ENCAP — basically it's used in combination, that's the thing. Around here — this is C-CAP, I think. This was produced by Japan's Tsukiyoshi, who were also involved in the development, there's that story.

And another you'll often hear — which one — where's a good one to show it — here it's written big, a peek of it. ABZORB. ABZORB. Yes, any New Balance fan has definitely heard of it. This blue peeking out around here is ABZORB, and from partway the color differs a bit, but it becomes visible around here too, so to speak, it's Nike-style Air. This is an elastomer DuPont developed — a sort of rubber-like material — it absorbs shock firmly and returns a moderate bounce. It's not as poppy as Air, and the first to use it in the 99X series was this 998 model. After this, around here it becomes more and more visible — around here you sense the influence of Nike and the like, that visible feel. And there are various kinds of ABZORB — next, ABZORB SBS, which I'm fairly sure the 992 and 993 have too. SBS is set underneath, so you probably can't quite see it, but SBS is — the air bubbles that earlier ABZORB had inside, removed, made into a jelly-like state — a non-cellular elastomer, apparently — first fitted on the 992, so ABZORB SBS is basically ABZORB with the air bubbles gone, that's the thing.

Then there's ABZORB DTS — what's that — Dual Density, a two-layer structure — Dual Technology System, DTS, apparently — an ABZORB made into a two-layer structure combining another foam material that boosts cushioning and stability — that's what they call ABZORB DTS, apparently. This was fitted on the 993, and DTS is set in here. The 993.

After that, in the modern era, FuelCell comes along — a higher-rebound foam, formed by injecting nitrogen gas — a high-rebound midsole material — so with nitrogen gas inside, it heightens the rebound. It turns the energy return when you push off into more forward propulsion, that kind of thing. I don't fully get it, but around there, and when you wear it you'll feel the propulsion, I think. And the first to carry it was the 990 V6. However, the FuelCell fitted in the 990 V6 comes in a few firmness variants, apparently, and this one is on the firmer, denser side, whereas the more jogging-oriented other model numbers get a slightly softer FuelCell — that's the FuelCell technology.

That roughly covers New Balance's technologies for a quick run-through, I think. So — I mentioned earlier that PU hydrolyzes, right? The 997 especially — many of these have crumbled — and on that, the biggest point is, in Japan especially, don't just leave them sitting — wear them. When you wear them, force on the heel crushes the internal bubbles, letting it breathe, so moisture inside gets released more easily, and wearing them keeps them in better shape. Don't let them sit — wear them properly — that's the key point for these polyurethane types. Leave them boxed on a shelf for years, take them out, and they'll go slippery, crumble to bits, the sole pops off — that's what tends to happen, so wearing them properly keeps them lasting better.

In short, New Balance is originally a running shoe — pouring in the latest tech conceivable at each moment, achieving both high stability and cushioning at once — this is genuinely hard to reconcile, so it's a maker that reconciles the two well and makes good shoes. On the upper, from the arch on, including the collar, it's firmly locked down — for example, a leather part called the saddle has been used throughout the generations, and this too is to firmly support the arch, and the heel cup, the Motion Control Device, and around here, stabilizing the heel firmly — that's the sneaker New Balance is built as, and as you talk through that, it becomes 'this is totally the Porsche of the sneaker world,' a firmly-built upper, usable for practical city driving, yet with the stability of a sports car — like the suspension. And, though I said I wouldn't tie it back, let me — you don't wear it, you ride it — like a Porsche, then. — Yes. Originally the 1300 was called a Rolls-Royce, right, earlier. — Yes. — But putting 99-something, 9-something on it — three-digit 9-somethings — clearly seems conscious of that, I feel. Actually, New Balance says so too — one of their engineers said 'we reference,' or rather 'respect' places like that, talking about Porsche, so that kind of feel.

So — the 99, this one works too — sorry, which one, I've lost track. Which is it? Where'd it go? — It's gone. — It's not there — ah, it's right here, top row, the 991. This — people into that stuff totally think 'it's a Porsche.' The 911 is a famous model through the generations — and all those Porsche fans don't say '911,' they call it by the type numbers — 992, or 964, or 930 — so I made a table for reference of how these model numbers go. So Porsche 911 — originally there was 901 to 911, then 930, 964, 993, 996, 997, then the numbers go back, 991, 992, and the latest ends at 992, that's where it stands. New Balance is quite close to this — first there's 990, then 995, 996, 997, and on to 998, 999, and then 'what happens after this?' you think, and suddenly it becomes 990 V2. — True. — From there 991, 992, 993, and then the 990 V3 comes out here, having gone as far as the 993 — so New Balance is one step ahead of Porsche. And the model numbers starting with 99 — actually New Balance put them on first, that kind of thing. And both are flagship models, so that's similar too, I think. Yes. So from now on, 'ride comfort' — say 'ride comfort,' please. — No one says that, so you'll get mocked, I think.

Yes. So, shall we introduce every model? It's getting long. — Please. Let's go. — First, let's broadly divide it into five generations — the '80s, '90s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s — each has its traits, so let's look at it that way. Let's start from the '80s, when the first ones were released.

The very first model, the 990, the original, 1982 — what's called the V1. Above all a pricey sneaker — $100 back then, three or four times a normal sneaker's price. When released in Japan, in the ¥30,000 range — this being '82 — a sneaker released with that marketing-heavy tagline, '990 out of 1000 points.' New Balance's philosophy is clearly packed into this one pair, I think. This saddle part — the jogging shoes of that time, from the '70s into the '80s — Adidas made this part three stripes, Nike just had the swoosh and was nylon, other sneakers differed — many were jogging shoes like that, whereas here, leather running from around the eyelets to the saddle cinches it tight, and the Motion Control Device firmly stabilizes the heel, and including the insole and the shape of the contact surface, it's a sneaker that firmly supports the foot, with a bit of room around the toe, and — widths aren't often released in Japan — but it came in five or six widths, designed from the start to truly fit the foot and minimize foot injury, firmly supporting the runner's foot — that's the luxury sneaker this came out as, and this model and the next one have Vibram soles, which is another little feature. One more big New Balance feature — why is the comfort so good? It's called slip lasting, apparently — take out the insole and it wraps like a single sheet, with a seam running down the middle underneath, you can see — this wraps the foot snugly, so the contact is quite firm yet soft, and the comfort is excellent too — splendid. This traditional New Balance design really suits Americana styling, and this gray, with the lightning-bolt tones, is nice too.

The second '80s shoe, the 995 — released in 1986. After this comes the 996, a hugely popular model still going, so this is more of a transitional model, but even so, this is the first 99X series to use ENCAP, a technology that represents New Balance. ENCAP — I mentioned it's the surround hardened with polyurethane. Shall we try to get the sound in? A normal sole sounds like this — is it picking up? Against that, ENCAP sounds like this — can you tell? This hard feel. Basically, the polyurethane hardens the surround, with something soft inside — that's the technology. It wasn't a flashy hit model, but as the model that first carried ENCAP and etched its name in New Balance history, please keep it in mind. To add a bit more — thanks to this being hard here, the EVA's sink doesn't escape sideways but sinks straight down and springs back, so compared to the 990 the comfort improved there — that's the thing. Though as for the construction, I get the sense the 990 was better — for example, this Motion Control Device — on the 990 it was properly stitched down, whereas here that changed to just adhesive, including things like that, the construction felt a touch better on the 990, I feel, though — this bit, the spring, also feels improved on this one, so it's a model made with some refinements. Still, the biggest problem that carries into the next, the 996, I think, is the sole's taper — can you tell? Looking now, this one has more sole width, can you see? This difference, I feel, is a bit of a change for the worse, that's how it is.

Let's talk about the 996 — three models came out in the '80s, and it's the last of them — the 996, released 1988. You could call it the honor student of the 99X series, and think of it as a more refined design. This flowing feel around the heel and such — can you see the difference against the 995? And the Motion Control Device, which was just a U-shape until then, became a bit more designed, so it evolved. On top of that, this combines ENCAP and C-CAP, so the sole evolved too — a sneaker with high cushioning and stability. With C-CAP it also became a more sag-resistant sole, which is big, and it's lighter, that kind of thing. The sneaker I've worn most in life is this in gray — the 996 gray, I've probably worn out three pairs, and I always kept one pair in stock. So there should be a stock pair somewhere, but I couldn't find that either, so today I'm introducing it in a borrowed red, yes. Another feature is the designer, a man named Steven Smith, and he designs later models too, adding futuristic design, and this — he later makes Yeezy with Kanye West. — Huh. — is one he designed. And as I said earlier, versus the 990, can you see this difference in sole width? The taper difference? The biggest problem in wear is that the 996 — on slightly angled ground and such — your foot rolls easily, you turn your ankle easily. I had a nasty time with it once, so it's now a shoe I can't wear, that's the thing. — Actually you weren't wearing the 996, you were in Paraboots — but with Mika and Eddie-san, I had a nasty time. And it's still made in various forms, including Asia-made, so it's the finest sneaker to pair with Americana-like things, and a good one, I think.

The '80s I've been describing — the ones that keep the strong flavor of that first period, the 1300, 576 and so on — the models that keep those traits strongly were the '80s. So, the 99X series' second period, the 1990s — let's go. — Here, let me put in a bit of promotion. — Ooh, a product announcement. — Thanks to our products, this channel exists, so please let me introduce them — good things have come in.

So — going on sale Thursday, August 6th — the Organic Wool Survival Cloth series. Survival Cloth is a fabric name our company holds a trademark on — a trademarked cloth name — one of our representative materials. And in Argentina's Patagonia region — I'm the first Japanese to visit that ranch — I sought it out and went myself, and it uses the wool from there, where they raise organic wool — I went there. Made with that wool, it's the gabardine material called Survival Cloth. Three wool yarns into one — this is called 'roku-maru' (a 60-count) — once a very fine yarn, nowadays a fairly medium-thick yarn — and twisting three of those together makes it durable and lets the twill stand up crisply — a gabardine (60/3). With a good number of warp ends and a good pick density, it's a firm, highly durable fabric. It makes clothing you can wear a long time. Think of the weight per meter as about the same as a heavily-milled furano flannel. And this gabardine, made this time in Top Grey — a charcoal top — the color that hides dirt best, so it's perfect for people who really wear things hard, I think — this jacket.

This is the Sports Coat, ¥99,000. — Cool. — Still under ¥100,000, which for a jacket is a good price, I think. Grabbing a bowl of ramen is getting tough these days, but at ¥1,000, Japan's still good. Yes. It's our most standard shape, though it drops a bit softly and the waist falls straight — but wear it and you can tell a designer designed this jacket, so into something truly simple we've put that in — no chest pocket either, a very minimal design, but you can tell there's play in the silhouette, that kind of jacket. Center vent. Next — since the fabric really lands with substance,

this is the Mountain Parka. ¥143,000. Since it's a durable fabric, thinking of making a sports item, we made a slightly longer-length Mountain Parka. In the vein of a classic mountain-gear silhouette, from the yoke to the sleeve it's a connected pattern — from this switch the sleeve runs on continuously. It has hand-warmer pockets, and at the hem, gusseted high-capacity pockets. The hood is detachable. You can open it up around here and wear it, with the large collar standing up nicely — a cool way to wear it. Nice color, right? This Dark Brown — cool, understated — a slightly bordeaux-tinged brown, a color close to a deep purple, a cool piece. Bordeaux tones are a trend color now too, so wearing this lightly for autumn-winter will look cool. — Isn't it a coat? — Well — can't you layer under it? Yeah — it's about a short-coat length, covering the seat completely, so right now pairing slim trousers with it around here would be cool too, you can wear it in a mode way, and it also handles a more classic way of wearing — a Mountain Parka.

Next, the standard trouser series continues — Flat Tapered Trousers. 'Flat' means no tucks — flat front — and from there it tapers gently, a relatively slim silhouette in our lineup this season, though the hips have plenty of room. It tapers and falls cleanly, so if you want a slightly slim trouser, choosing this pant lets you wear it in the most modern way, I think. It pairs very cleanly with the Sports Coat from earlier, too, and the back panel has elastic. This back-panel elastic — other brands may have done it before us, possibly, but please consider that we spread it. Everyone — a front Marvel-belt with back elastic, letting you wear a clean trouser comfortably — we've been doing that spec continuously.

Next, the Double Pleated Semi-Easy Trousers — these are ¥50,600. These have two tucks, plenty of room around the hips, and likewise the back has elastic, so you can wear them comfortably, and you can choose your waist size without much worry. And these tucks escape a little to the side, which is cool — it makes the front look sharp, so when you tuck a shirt into a pant around here and wear it, it wears well — a good-looking pant,

incredibly convenient. A bit wide, but among the wide pants the most honest silhouette — an incredibly convenient pant.

Last, one more pant — the Flat Front Wide Trousers. This too is flat front, so no tucks. There's some room around the hips, and it drops straight down to the hem — an old-school 'dokan' kind of silhouette, so please consider it the most mode-feeling pant among these. It's wide, so it doesn't fuss over which shoe you pair — this kind of New-Balance-ish shoe pairs easily too, in a silhouette that hides them; of course boots look cool too, and it goes with leather shoes — that versatility makes it the most fashion-forward silhouette, so please think of it that way. So those who want something a bit more basic, choose the earlier one, and those who want a stronger fashion feel, a stronger mode feel, choose this silhouette — this one doesn't have back elastic. And I hadn't properly introduced the colors, but there's Black, Dark Sage — this greenish one — and Dark Brown, that cool bordeaux-ish color from earlier, and Charcoal is the top — Top Grey. Please — sales start Thursday, August 6th — if you pick them up, this channel can keep bringing you all sorts of information. Thank you.

Here the high-tech era arrives — an era evolving into '90s-style, futuristic dad sneakers. The 995, 996, 997. I don't quite know why it jumped from 990 to 995, but the 99-something back-numbers continue around here. The 997, released in 1990. Its big feature is this sharply sculpted model, the sole locked rock-hard with ENCAP, and where it connects to the Motion Control Device — this change around the sole and upper — thrusting out, the saddle pushed further back, a more middle-aged-uncle-ish dad-sneaker design. And this too — the 997 is said to be the last one Steven Smith designed at New Balance, that's the thing. From here New Balance's true dad-sneaker character goes full-throttle.

Whereas the 996 refined the design while tidying it up, this one you can think of as a model made to show off the engineering a bit more — made to flaunt it, so to speak. And with ENCAP and C-CAP, rather than stacking them separately, both are built into the same unit and molded together — packing in that kind of tech. And there's what's called a Hytrel strap — a resin strap here at the collar. On the 990v5 this kind of part comes back again and gets quite criticized, but this already uses it — it helps cinch the collar tight. Actually, with New Balance sneakers you really should always lace through these two — when you lace up properly you get cinched tight, the heel hold is good too, cinched from the saddle, cinch the collar, and hold the heel — cinching to stabilize the foot firmly. And the widths vary, so you can wear it to your width, and there it gives both the stability and rebound that act like a kind of suspension — a sole that satisfies both stability and rebound is this sneaker's feature, and it's a sneaker packed with a lot of tech, I think. And the outsole uses X-AR 1000, a carbon rubber, so it's highly durable. And this sole — doesn't it feel really thick? Even compared to this generation. But actually, when you wear-test '90s New Balance you realize it's actually a bit thin — this part rises up, so it just looks taller, and the Motion Control Device becomes integrated, giving a very thick-soled impression, but actually it's not that thick — that's another '90s New Balance trait. And there's another anecdote about this model —

there was a factory relocation, and right after this model ended — around the 998 era — at that time the sole's mold got lost during the relocation, so it became a model that couldn't be reissued. But UA and NONNATIVE did a collab on it — they put the later 998's sole on the 997's upper — among enthusiasts it's called the 997.5, that model exists. It carries a pretty high premium now — the NONNATIVE one and such. That's the model. Next, the second one of the era, the 998. Its biggest point is written boldly, but it's the first model with ABZORB. As I explained earlier, a cushioning material using DuPont's elastomer — the bubble thickness and shape are quite uniform, so it resists sagging, absorbs shock firmly, and returns a moderate bounce — the ride changed to that. Not bouncing hard, but absorbing solidly, so from the ENCAP-plus-C-CAP combination, this ABZORB comes in — I actually prefer this ABZORB over Nike's Air — the comfort became more everyday-usable, I think. Peeking it out and pressing it, you feel the softness, and ABZORB is often used in blue — there are various blues, but — that's how it is. This has often been reissued since, too — a truly connoisseur-pleasing one of the 99X series. It uses pigskin suede throughout the generations, so it has that classic feel, but the sole's new — a new-generation pair,

that kind of thing. Next, the third of the '90s, the 999, already 1996 — the number reached its final digit — 'what do we do after this?' the triple-nine model. This made the most complex sole with the era's sole tech. The Motion Control Device shows much less, and the thick-sole feel increased, with ABZORB peeking out — and this ABZORB's position, versus the earlier sole showing at the top, here shows at the bottom of the sole, which brings a change in the ride, that kind of thing. One more thing I don't fully get — they added a metatarsal pad, a mid-foot bone pad, and ABZORB shows more, and the logo got a bit smaller. As a second generation, it's like an evolution of that sculptural sole design, so among the 99X series it's one of the most loaded-up sneakers, I think. A really, really good sneaker. And this design — the last one before it branches off from what came before, whether you can love this — whether you can love this snub-nosed feel — will be the dividing line, but it's a very good sneaker. And having reached the 999, the question is what happens to the model number after this. One more pair was released in the era —

that's the 990v2 I picked in my best three — it came out in 1998. Sixteen years after the original 990, the renewed v2 model. How does it differ from the later 99-numbers — the 997, 998, 999 of the same era — this is the turn of the century. It was an era when various makers were looking to the 21st century, so it came out as a new 990 designed fully with the 21st century in view. The sole inherits that thick-sole feel cultivated up to the 999, and further, the design got more complex and rounded, a big change from the straight-line-based feel before — that's the design, and taking the multi-layer midsole idea perfected in the 999, here the ABZORB really bulges out. It's the same kind of material as Nike Air, plus ABZORB runs full-length — right through the inside — so the ride changed quite a bit — more absorbing. Really good comfort, a really good-riding

sneaker, please consider. That said, the models up to this era had a distinctive softness in the upper, an enveloping feel, which shifts toward the 2000s models becoming a bit firmer, but this pair packs both — it's incredible, and this, the biggest feature of subsequent 21st-century design — the line running diagonally across the upper's mesh, which I liken to kabuki kumadori makeup — the first to carry this line is this model. A really good model. — That's cool. — Yeah. It's in a slightly large size now, cinched tight, which adds to the coolness, I think. However, thanks to the ABZORB, the flex here got a bit firmer compared to earlier models. Earlier models were a bit softer here — bending floppily — whereas this is a bit firmer, and there the comfort clearly changed. Later models carry this firmness, so it's a clearly-changed model, but wearing it now, this firmness is just right for walking around — like leather shoes — as a sneaker ahead of its time for the 21st century, the 990v2 was that. Among the 99X series, many voices call it the masterpiece. So this was a century-spanning sneaker, that's the thing. We're just about at the countdown to 100,000, I think,

so everyone watching this now — if it's been even a little useful, please be sure to subscribe. We cover all sorts of info, not just sneakers. When you feel like moving from sneakers to leather shoes, this channel will be useful too. We do all things fashion, so please subscribe right now. Somehow let us reach 100,000, please.

And next, we enter the 99X model number's third period. The 2000s — think of it as the era when the 99X design was completed, the era it became the 99X everyone loves. And after a hedging-move naming like 990v2, it went back to the lowest number, the 991. What came out is the 991, released 2001. This is the sneaker released right as the 21st century began. Now, this model is Made in the UK — I'm not sure whether there was originally a USA one — some say there was a USA one, and what it is — visible ABZORB properly came out, and this was originally the sneaker Jobs used. This one is a United Arrows collab model, with 2001 on the back and so on, a 991 model with various touches — the ABZORB is exposed here and there, and the sole design got a bit simpler, or rather gentler, toning down the assertiveness versus the '90s, and instead a wave-like pattern comes in to suit the era's design, that kind of thing. This is made at the UK Flimby factory, and in today's lineup only this and the later 991v2 — two pairs — are Made in the UK. ABZORB is in both the forefoot and the heel, here too — this too has ABZORB — but compared to the other 99X series, it's said to have a very hard sole, this model, so it's a very stable ride. Cushioning-wise it feels a bit lower than other models, so some dislike this comfort, and conversely some love it — love this stability feel — think of it as a sole with a firmness close to the original 990. The '90s 99X series felt like being wrapped in thick socks, whereas this became a slightly different comfort, probably because parts like these switches increased and so on. And one more —

the biggest design feature of the 21st-century 99X series — I introduced the kumadori-like thing earlier, and there's one more. Up to this model, the saddle — I keep saying — the part the 'N' sits on, and the eyestay, the parts around the shoelace holes, were connected as one piece, cinching up together with a sense of unity, and here they get split in the design. Can you tell? This greatly changes the design impression, carrying over that. And the one that entered this 21st-century design is the v2. The v2 still doesn't have this switch, can you see? And from here, changing this way, it became a design that represents the later 99X series. So here one completed form of the design emerged, and it became the shape everyone now pictures for the 99X series, that's this model.

I mentioned Steve Jobs wore it — at the 2007 iPhone unveiling presentation, what Jobs wore was the 991. Earlier I said the 992 was 'everything' — that's the model Jobs later wore too, the 992, they say. So this too is a sneaker every businessperson who wants to make a hit product has to wear.

Next, my beloved model, the 992, was released in 2006. This is one of the models New Balance made to commemorate its 100th anniversary. Using the new ABZORB SBS technology, the pillowy feel increased, finishing into a truly comfortable shoe with good hold. Technically that came through, and versus the 991 — the 991 feels slightly sharper, whereas this gives a rounder impression, attacking the razor's edge between dowdiness and good design — that's the design, which is why it's a beloved model. And it evolved into ABZORB SBS, but what's SBS? — it stands for styrene-butadiene-styrene, apparently. Styrene appearing twice — yes — and what that actually is I don't really understand, but that it doesn't sag is said to be a big trait of this ABZORB. This is black, and what's good about New Balance's black — this bit isn't so scorched, but this one's a bit more scorched, wash it more and it fades more, and white fuzz rises, so it starts looking like a well-worn shoe, and normal sneakers, when worn in, tend to go a bit into an unpleasant state, whereas with New Balance that worn-in feel becomes a bit endearing, and including that, it's a sneaker you can love, I think. Also — the 992 wasn't reissued for a good while after it came out. It was made until 2010, and ten years after production ended, in 2020, it was finally reissued, and everyone bought it like crazy. But there's one difference — the original model had six eyelets — excluding these two vertical ones, it's now 1-2-3-4-5, but it had six. Apparently they sampled a women's model or something and it became five, they say, but honestly I'd be happier with six, that's how I feel,

that's the thing. The third of the 2000s — the 993 came out in 2008. This carries ABZORB DTS, Dynamic Transition System. I think it's one of the finest walking-type sneakers. Cushioning is excellent, a comfortable sneaker, and the preference for the 992 or the 993 is a genuinely trivial, subtle difference, I think — trivial, a trivial-level subtle difference, for the average person — this is where it splits, and I often just choose the 992 for the small 'N,' but the 993 is a beloved sneaker too. As for whether there's a big dramatic difference in comfort — there isn't that much, so whichever you choose, it's a sure-thing pair. And these models have lots of collabs too, so choosing one by a collab partner you like is fine too, I think, and the colors are mostly similar, so at a glance you can't tell which you're wearing, that kind of model — whichever you choose is fine, I think.

Next, let's do the fourth generation, into the 2010s. The 2010s — think of it as an era that inherited the 2000s design and further raised the completeness as a jogging shoe. The so-called masterpiece v3 was born — that's 2012. Released as the v3 to commemorate 30 years from the original, to commemorate — released as the v3, that's the thing. The eyestay-and-saddle split I explained earlier — the design where the eyestay and saddle were split — on the v3 they became connected again, though it branches off partway, becoming a more intricate design — that's the v3. Influenced by that, it became a more flowing, streamlined design, and from the previous stubby feel it got smarter — that's the 2010s trait, I think. The v3, together with the later v4, is a sneaker very well-regarded by people who actually ran, I hear. 'I hear' because I don't jog at all. This — again, it's improved — the way ABZORB is placed seems split, and there's one more secret — up to now the outsole was one-piece molded, you see, running to the heel, whereas this one is split, can you tell? The white part you see is the midsole — the soft part — so splitting it here, recreating that old feel, I think — it returns to a sneaker that bends firmly, again. Here again a little evolution, and the comfort changed, and one reason runners say it's easy to run in might just be here, I think. And the v3 had a lot of collabs

too — for example this is a Boston shop called Bodega, a Bodega collab from 2021 — this one has 2006 on it while the other has 2021, a nice reversed touch, that kind of model. Design-wise it's more refined too, feeling like they thought more about runners, the ENCAP got wider too, that kind of sneaker. That was the v3.

Next, the 990v4 — a JJJJound collab model. This one's also really well-regarded — the flowing design deepened further beyond the v3, and the previous dad-feel moved a bit toward the refined side. However, as for its design features, it somewhat inherits the earlier 2000s models — like an evolution of those, and here again the saddle is split, so a design change is added, that kind of thing. This model too — a bit firmer than the v3, but it flexes with a pillowy feel partway, a sole that bends that way. This too is very well-regarded by runners. It's often said the v4 leaves a fainter impression than the v3, and that's actually true, but for running it's apparently really good — the joggers. To the three of you here — a completely different type from the fashion-industry people of old. The old

media types lived a bit more self-indulgently, but in exchange threw themselves hard into work, whereas you three, trying to keep a balance, are doing something unforgivable — the three of you doing something unforgivable — why not try wearing these sneakers? A recommended model.

Next, the third of the 2010s, the 990v5. In the 2010s they went to about the 993 and stopped, then suddenly started updating the 990 series one after another — that's the v5. In terms of a more solidly locked structure and hold, it became a very strong shoe — that's the 990v5, but the design got quite simple. Really tidied up, can you tell? This color makes it hard to see, maybe? This one had a more squiggly, flowing design, whereas this got simpler, didn't it — crisp and clean. And on top, a plastic part here — a material called TPU, apparently — this is actually a very useful part, I think; it holds here firmly, so the heel sits securely. This bit wasn't very well-received, and design-wise it became different from the previous two models, so that side wasn't so well-received, but it's actually a good sneaker, and I didn't much love the v5 myself.

This is an Engineered Garments collab model, so the left and right use the parts completely differently. I always wear an 8, but this model alone — the 8 is really tight, like the left and right are different sizes, that's how different the comfort is — coming from the difference in how the parts are taken, so parts really matter, I think, and that ties into stretch issues and such. The actual cinched feel is properly there and it's a good model, but it's not that popular, that kind of model. The 2020s — the image renewed, and the image inherited; which way it goes from here isn't yet clear.

Now, everyone who's listened this far may have wondered — 'there's no 994, is there?' True, it hasn't appeared. Now, at New Balance, like a permanently retired number, the 994 — whether it appears will be the 2020s' biggest point of interest, I think, but in that context, out came the 990v6 — the most recent 'problem child.' What makes it one — Eri-sama wears it, and the comfort really is incredible, but the moment it dropped, a great many people declared they wouldn't buy it. Why? For one, FuelCell going onto a 990-line shoe clearly changed the comfort from New Balance up to now. Once before, fitting ABZORB changed the comfort, but the change here was even bigger than that time. It was not the previous firm, sink-in feel, but with rebound added — not boing-boing, but a squishy rebound added — and that came to divide opinion. And the sole material itself differs from the old hard-ENCAP feel, so for example when it lands at an angle, you clearly feel more softness than before, and detractors say when it lands angled, side wrinkles form, so 'isn't durability low?' Including that, there are negative opinions about the 990v6 — that's one.

And another big design change — up to now there was a firm saddle, with the 'N' sitting on it, firmly holding here — that was the 99X series, yet it removed the saddle, becoming a structure supported by the 'N,' so-called Adidas-three-stripe-like. Whether hold actually drops with this — it doesn't drop at all, but 'no, this isn't a 99 model number, is it?' That design change is big too. And the mesh parts clearly increased accordingly — 'isn't this cost-cutting?' opinions came out too — 'what's the deal?' And another, design-wise, clearly the thick-sole feel increased over before. Around here it actually had quite a thick-sole feel already, but this is a thick-sole feel leaning toward the others, over that way — when you put it that way, yeah. So the Motion Control Device-ish thing is no longer visible, the thick-sole feel increased that much, and the back juts out a bit — there's criticism of that too, a sneaker like that. However, I love it.

Ah, and one more feature — from around the v3 this gradually happened, but this part being low and crisp — 'the 99X series should be a bit more homely,' that opinion also comes up, I think. This slightly potato-like feel is cute, right? And this sharpened feel — 'what's the deal?' But when you actually wear it, it clearly has more of that easy, cushioned feel, and the cushioning when your foot lands oddly — including that, it's become a good sneaker, I feel. Well, it went modern-design, toward a cooler line — the v6. The 990v6 might be thought of as the last, maybe,

but there's a model that quietly dropped, the 991v2 — originally out in 2023, full release in 2024, I think — the Made in England 991 got updated too. I introduced it once on this channel before, I think, but I don't know where that one went, so specially for this I bought another pair. That one was black, so I bought gray — that's the model. Compared to other models the 991 feels a bit heavy, I think. But it's a bit lighter than the original, though when you actually hold it it's not really noticeable — it should be some tens of grams lighter. This weight reflects the sole's solidity, coming through firmly, I feel.

The upper design looks like it hasn't changed much, but look closely and various places have changed — actually various things changed. And another — this too has the saddle unsplit, returning to that design, bringing back some traits from the old late-99-number era, a bit. But the small 'N' is nice, right? And here there may be some lessons from the 990v6, coming out with a more classic build, but the way ABZORB is loaded, and FuelCell — this has FuelCell in it too — both ABZORB and FuelCell are in it, so it came out as a model that improves the 'the 991 is hard, hard' complaint. I personally quite like it — it has that so-called New Balance-ish sturdy feel. True, for wearing long hours now, my feet have gone soft, so I'd end up wearing the v6, I think, but with that firmness there, it's a very well-made sneaker, I think.

And still — remember this — this plump feel of the 991, versus the v2 being a bit too crisp — this part getting longer and cleaner. As for New Balance, I personally prefer it a bit rounder, but this is the 2020s-ish design continuing from the 2010s, I think — that's this shoe. So in the 2020s two pairs of slightly different direction came out. Whether this goes its own evolution on this line, and how the conservative mainstream progresses — there are four more years ahead, so let's look forward to what comes. The 99X model-number series — that was it.

One or two more pairs may come. By this count — three in the '80s, four in the '90s, three in the 2000s, three in the 2010s — so probably three, but how you count this v2 is the question. Whether they push three Made in USA — in the 2000s it was one Made in UK, two Made in USA, so if it follows the same flow, one more pair coming and done is possible. Whether that's the 990v7 or the 994 appears — that's the question. Putting on a 99 model number requires the chairman's approval, apparently. — Is that so? — You can't just assign it — the planning team can't. Whether the word 'right, then go with the 994' comes down — what kind of model comes out is something to look forward to. — Mm-hm.

— It was long, but I introduced all 15 models, I think. — Amazing. A video like that, from somewhere unofficial, is pretty rare, I think — did you all get it? Did you find your favorite pair?

Today's summary: the New Balance 99X series — you don't wear it, you ride it. — So that's where you use it — here's where it lands. — Nice idea. — That bit was fun. The Porsche connection — not official, but let's say there's a kind of period synchronicity at work between them, roughly that much. — Yes.

— Ishikawa-san, you lived all this in real time, through the generations, right? — But there were times I ignored what came out — around here, when these first came out, I thought I couldn't wear them — they didn't match what I was wearing at the time. — Honestly, what do you think? — Tossing it to me — honestly, how is this? — That's the most middle-aged-uncle-ish, maybe — an uncle wears it to run, right — the American white-uncle image is too strong, isn't it? — Right, so. — Originally New Balance was a shoe with a white-American-uncle image, so really, including the 320 and such, so early '90s, when I was going to America, white — Boston white uncles — lots wore New Balance, so that image was really strong. Everyone wore the old 320 and such, you know. — As you age it starts to suit you, there's that too. — That's part of it, that's part of it. And so dad-type sneakers — deliberately wearing that uncle-ish sneaker became a form of fashion, so that's fine, but the real uncle-shoe of that time you can't really wear, right? Of course some people loved it, but — no, no, no, impossible.

Can I say it one last time? This gets me really criticized, but New Balance — that homeliness, a shoe you enjoy for that — everyone should properly recognize once more, I think. And people wearing New Balance thinking it's super stylish should reconsider a bit, I think, including that aesthetic sense. I'll probably get criticized again, but it's something to enjoy for that. Everyone, channel — subscribe, like, comment, and don't forget the bell and Hype, please. Especially now, channel subscribe — those of you who've watched this far, if you haven't subscribed, be sure to do so. We'll deliver info that's absolutely useful. Thank you kindly.