After exploring the Made in USA, Made in UK, and lifestyle ranges within the New Balance family, Stone Island is now turning its attention to New Balance Numeric - the skateboarding division of Boston’s premier footwear brand tasked with creating the first-ever Stone Island skate shoe.
Through its revitalized partnership with New Balance, Stone Island has also ensured the spotlight remains on its own iconic brand motifs; evidenced by last year’s trio of Flimby-made 991v2s, directly tied to Stone Island’s monochromatic “Ghost” range, as well as the Made in USA 998 released in March, constructed from the brand’s proprietary Raso Gommato material.
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Now, Stone Island is fusing the nautical-inspired aesthetic of its cult “Marina” offshoot with New Balance Numeric to create a concentrated vision of the already understated 272 skate shoe.
Marina is one of the original capsule concepts introduced by Stone Island founder Massimo Osti in the early 1980s, focusing on minimally-branded apparel inspired by European military and sailing reference points.
A milestone in Stone Island and New Balance’s collaborative lineage, the Numeric 272 goes beyond simple textile and colourway updates, shedding its usual construction in place of a horizontally-split, two-tone build comprised of premium suede and a poly-canvas shroud with subtle reflective hints ingrained in the fabric.
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The 272 is still brimming with purpose-built, skate shoe DNA - evidenced by its vulcanised midsole that extends to the cupped heel, where Stone Island and New Balance stack their special Marina and Numeric insignias.
Colourways of blue, yellow and white reflect the wider palette featured in Stone Island’s seasonal Marina capsule, with direct shouts coming via branding placements on the tongue and heel, ventilation eyelets on the inner sides, and special packaging that includes a dry bag and signal whistle.
To commemorate the launch, Stone Island enlisted Jeremy Elkin, Tylre Wilcox, and Jake Darwen to capture the shoe in action, setting up at the Milano Centrale - a cult skate spot in the Italian city where the headline shoe was christened by Numeric team riders Tiago Lemos, Justin Henry, and Davide Holzknecht.
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Exclusive to Stone Island, the collaboration is available to purchase through a sign-up system on the brand’s website that closes on June 18.
