Thursday, October 7, 2010

J.Crew & New Balance Collaboration

As mentioned in the September 21st "J.Crew Kicks It Up a Notch with Ads & New Balance" post, J.Crew is teaming up with New Balance. The following is an article from the StyleList (click here to read in its entirety) that shares a bit more about what is to come:
J.Crew and New Balance Collaborate on New Balance 1400 Sneakers
By Lisa Mars
September 30, 2010

J.Crew's about to get some new kicks. The retailer is collaborating with New Balance on a special edition of New Balance 1400 sneakers available only from J.Crew stores, the J.Crew catalog, and the J.Crew Liquor Store in NYC starting Nov. 1.

These iconic trainers will be available in two never-before-seen colors – navy and moss-green suede – chosen by the shoemaker and Frank Muytjens, J.Crew's head of men's design. The footwear will be manufactured in New Balance's Maine factory (which certainly adds to their prep street cred).

Muytjens first saw the 1400s on a trip to Japan and bought himself a pair in bottle green. Upon his return, he discovered that Millard "Mickey" Drexler, the company's CEO, is also a fan of New Balance, referring to them as "the coolest shoes ever," a J.Crew spokesperson shared with StyleList.

New Balance is just the latest in a long list of cool collaborations J.Crew has entered into with brands like Belstaff, Essie, Ray-Ban, Fenton/Fallon, and Imogene + Willie.

The shoes are only available in men's sizes, but that doesn't preclude women shoppers from snapping up the smaller pairs. And even better, this partnership runs into 2011, so anything is possible.

And there's more exciting menswear news from the retailer: Check out The Rassle rocking J.Crew's Ludlow suit.

Meanwhile, it just might be time for a new pair of sneaks -- reportedly, men don't notice women in heels.
I have to say, the sneakers do look pretty darn good. I would love to see something for the ladies. :)

Now that you have seen the exclusive New Balance for J.Crew sneakers, do you think you will get a pair? Do you think they should include the Women with this partnership?

33 comments:

  1. NB runners don't fit my feet very well. I am a Mizuno girl.

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  2. I'd like to see something for women as I find those not very appealing to me. However, if the price is ridiculous I will be getting NB from elsewhere.
    I wonder if JC employees get their discounts on these collaboration items? Any JC employees want to comment?

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. I like them, and would also like to see something similar offered for women.

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  5. Wait, the J. Crew Liquor Store? Did I miss something?

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  6. I really like New Balance shoes and love the different colors of the "classic" look they offer. I probably won't buy any as I don't need any sneakers, but it's cool that they are offering!

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  7. I don't get the NB parternship. It doesn't seem like it goes along with the J Crew aesthetic, although I thought that about the sequin harem pants too. I like NB shoes- I just don't see the correlation. I'm glad for all of you who are excited about the partnership, though.

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  8. Denimologista, J.Crew opened a men's store in what was formerly a liquor store so it's referred to as the Liquor Store or the Men's Shop at the Liquor Store.

    I don't get what is so great about these shoes, they look pretty ordinary to me. I guess it's because J.Crew will offer them in navy and moss green. Ooooh, I must have them then. :P

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  9. While I like these a lot I would not buy them from JCrew due to their new return policy. You can buy New Balance shoes elsewhere and get better customer service/return options if needed. Such a shame but true! So many good online sites with NB and free ship/returns/exchanges for up to 365 days!

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  10. The funny thing to me is that New Balance are about the uncoolest shoes ever. I'd rather see them do a collab with a company like adidas, maybe a Stan Smith in an exclusive colorway, or something with Onitsuka Tiger.

    Made in USA sneakers are hard to come by, but I don't see myself buying these.

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  11. Thanks, xoxo! Although a J Crew liquor store would be totally hilarious. Could you imagine the description of the liquor/cocktails?

    Also, I don't get how these shoes have never been released in Navy. I totally had them in Navy with a pink trim on the N when I was in high school.

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  12. I hate to admit this, but those are pretty f-ing awesome.

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  13. I do not get this partnership at all...and agree that NB do not resonate cool/hip in any way.

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  14. I like the shoes, but as someone else mentioned I'd get them from some other retailer (like Nordys) with a much better return policy.

    I have to admit, I don't get most of J. Crew's partnerships and I don't really see how they benefit the J. Crew brand. I bought the gold metallic Sperrys offered at J. Crew in the spring. The J. Crew touch? A half-inch length of grosgrain ribbon INSIDE the shoe. I ended up returning them and buying the same pair (albeit without that "touch") for $20 cheaper at Nordstrom.

    I guess it might benefit the partner brand. I'm sure some people who have never bought a pair of NBs in their lives will pick them up *just* because they're at J. Crew.

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  15. You can't get these anywhere else, that's the point. They're only being sold by J. Crew. Many people who buy these are going to be embarassed to say where they got them. Something uncool about buying your old school sneakers from J. Crew.

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  16. Emily,

    I would guess as Catrina said about the Sperry Topsiders that a similar green NB shoe will be available for less....elsewhere. I don't "get" all these collaborations with other companies. That is not why I shop JCrew but if others like it that is fine...

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  17. New Balance has nothing like this out right now that I can find. It's like a New Balance version of a skater shoe, very cool. I would totally buy them if they came in black, gray, or a different blue...I love the green but wouldn't get much wear out of it.

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  18. I don't like these.

    I do wish they would parnter with Adidas to offer a women's Samba. I would be all over them. I buy the Sambas in the black for my son and for DH and I would love to have a pair for myself in the traditional or the sleek, but I never see women's sizes any more.

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  19. Hey all-Got a coupon in an email saying "we miss you" for 20% off online purchased until Oct. 14th. Use this code "PSJCW4936"

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  20. I do think that New Balance has a very similar shoe out there right now. Trust, I had a bf that wore lots of NB. For example:

    http://www.eastbay.com/product/model:81965/sku:45743401&SID=5504&inceptor=1&cm_mmc=SEO-_-Feeds-_-Froogle-_-null

    I don't really get these "collaborations" either. I do feel like there's a minor tweak (even a slightly different shade offered), and the price goes up 25%. But, no problem! I just won't buy them.

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  21. Denimologista is right! A quick google search of "new balance green 1400" came up with the same shoe in a slightly darker forest green color at Amazon for $75. Can we place bets on how much the J. Crew version will be? (I didn't see the price in the article.)

    Personally, I like the shoes. But I probably wouldn't think twice about them if I saw them at Foot Locker, as I suspect is the case for most people.

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  22. So...if Mickey decided to do a collaboration with Zubaz pants, with a special JCrew-only zebra print, would people suddenly think they're cool and retro and start buying them (besides my husband)?

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  23. Yeah, what is the J.Crew Liquor store?? I'd like to know more about that.

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  24. I like them I think it's fun to see unexpected collaborations!

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  25. No......
    these leave me COLD.

    You can buy athletic wear anywhere, but should it be considered fashion? Not in my humble opinion.

    I go to JCrew for casual fashion items, not this sort of stuff. Just like I go to REI for athletic stuff.

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  26. Sally O, so true, lol. Some people follow blindly, never asking questions. They'd be perfect fodder for a cult.

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  27. I had a professor in college who wore gray corduroys,a blue short sleeve oxford shirt, and New Balance shoes Every.Single.Day for 4 whole semesters straight (I kept track in my notebook). I cannot even look at that shoe without thinking of him. Brilliant man. Too bad it did not extend to his wardrobe.

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  28. egyptomaniac,

    Reminds me of England and the standard uniform you see in schools there...your professor just "transferred" his own! *The culture really prefers not having to think about what to wear and wearing the same thing everyday is easier.*

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  29. Christy: Thanks for sharing that code. It is super nice of you. In case you were not aware, that code is a unique, one-time only code. (You can tell by the use of letters and number. The generic codes tend to be words.) I hope you already used it before you posted it. :)

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  30. Denimologist, those are cool but I still like the J Crew version better. These types of shoes are not athletic at all...they're casual shoes to wear with jeans etc.

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  31. No matter what the esthetics of the line are, new balance is an extremist alt right organization. Jim Davis, Their CEO, donated huge amounts to the trump campaign and to anti gay rights organizations. Their official company policy, as voiced by vp Matt leBretton is to highly praise and support trump and to put down president Obama . They have accepted neo nazi "the stormer's" accolade as the official shoe of the alt right. We are in the greatest American crises since the civil war. Do we want to support fascist corporate power and a dangerous, lunatic ruler?
    Boycott new balance and, sadly, boycott jcrew!

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