NB "Factory Plaid" Collection

The other day a casual sneakerhead said she heard that New Balance had been bought out and that they no longer make shoes here in the US. I had to tell her SHE HEARD WRONG! And right in time, here are some kicks to prove it: these limited edition releases pay homage to the 3 New England factories making NB kicks--Skowhegan, Maine, Norridgewock, Maine and Lawrence, Massachusetts. (They were made in Skowhegan.)
I can say as a New Englander that the choice of plaid (by designer Andrew Nyssen), is a fun way to tip your hat to all us Nor'easterners who rock our lined plaid jackets and act like it's not cold out! Of course, most of the old skoolers who wore plaid before it came back as trendy are still rocking their old white and navy NBs... but for the rest of us, here goes:





I love the plaid visible through the sole. They're retailing at $150, and the smallest size is a men's 7 (woohoo!)