Last year’s New Balance and Stone Island collaboration caused divisive commentary within the community. On one hand, you’ve got two industry leaders coming together for the first in ages - on the other, the shoes were somewhat underwhelming and seemingly hard to style for the non-athlete - arguably a good point, depending on your stance on performance in fashion.
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Objectively, the RC ELITE v2_SI is the best running shoe that money can buy - as would be expected with New Balance and Stone Islands’ innovative natures being poured into what was the first collaboration between the brands in over 8 years.
The shoe is packed with highly engineered midsole technology, that promises to offer maximum energy return on the bounce, made even more futuristic with the addition of a carbon fibre plate - an under-the-radar trope of most NB release, that even appears on the underside of the recently revitalised 990v3.
Now, the silhouette is reportedly making a return, in two vibrant iterations that are equally as performative as their predecessor, swapping cream tones for flashy limes and warm burgundies, with the second staying true to the red and grey colourways that New Balance are famous for.
The cracked mesh that runs through the centre of the silhouette is symbolic of Stone Islands’ involvement in the sneaker, disrupting New Balance’s typical approach to the generally released FuelCell RC 2 - the base inspiration for this collaborative edition.
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Sources indicate we may see more information on the upcoming release appear sometime in June.
