New Balance 990v6

The New Balance 990v6 is a shoe that people either understand immediately or don't understand at all. That distinction usually comes down to whether you have worn a pair and felt the difference between this and every other sneaker in the $200 range. The silhouette has barely changed since the original 990 came out in 1982. The current version uses the same gray suede and mesh combination that has become shorthand for a certain kind of quiet taste that doesn't need to announce itself. I noticed them on campus more this semester than in previous years. People wearing them tend to be the same people who carry Muji notebooks and drink black coffee, which is either a coincidence or evidence that certain objects attract certain sensibilities. The midsole is a dual-density foam that New Balance calls FuelCell. While I don't think most buyers are evaluating the cushioning technology, the comfort over a full day of walking is noticeably better than the Air Force 1s I wore for the past 2 years. Made in the United States at factories in Maine and Massachusetts, the "Made in USA" tag on the tongue carries weight in a market where that claim is increasingly rare. At $200 they sit in a strange position, too expensive for a casual sneaker but too understated for the price to feel justified on aesthetics alone. I think the people who buy them are paying for the accumulated credibility of a design that has been refined for over 40 years. My pair has developed a crease across the toe box that makes them look lived-in rather than worn-out, and I like them more now than when I bought them.