Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mid-Century Modern Designs Inspire New Balance X KITH Sneaker Collab
The New Balance 998 gets an artsy update courtesy of the beloved architect.
It’s often amazing and inspiring the avenues through which great design flows — from the worlds of art and design through to the fast-paced sneaker industry, for instance. Design innovation is the name of the game at Ronnie Fieg’s famed lifestyle outfit KITH, which just put its own stamp on New Balance sneakers in partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
KITH is no stranger to putting its own twist on everything from rugged-yet-luxurious G-SHOCK watches to apparel to, of course, fresh kicks.
Dubbed the New Balance Made in USA 998 – Broadacre City, the sneakers pay homage to the legendary mid-century modern architect, inspired by the dusty, earthy tones of Wright’s Broadacre City futuristic living concept.
For good measure, both colorways of the sneakers got their day in the sun, quite literally, with a vibrant photoshoot at Taliesin West, the iconic designer’s winter home and studio in Scottsdale, Az.
The classic New Balance mesh upper is found on both pairs, but that’s where things get interesting: Each pair of the New Balance Made in USA 998 – Broadacre City boasts hairy suede and pigskin suede overlay plans in earthy colors ranging from warm apricot to olive green.
Those tones were found in Wright’s Broadacre City sketches, and the limited-edition sneakers certainly bridge the gap between the old and the new quite reliably (and stylishly).
The sneakers debuted through a variety of limited in-person releases last week, including at KITH Tokyo and at Taliesin West itself, another fitting tribute to a legend that proves that inspiring design has no boundaries in terms of physical form.
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