New Balance x Staud Burst Into Retro Surf Culture With Final Sporty Collaboration
New Balance is stepping into summer with Staud, thanks to the duo’s fifth collaboration. The new collection combines vintage surf culture with California ease, highlighting strengths from each brand simultaneously.
The new collection — also the duo’s last — includes a variety of athletic pieces, including running shorts, sports bras, leggings and tank tops. Cast in a color palette of punchy reds and pinks with saturated blue tones, the line hinges on the aesthetics of the ’80s and ’90s in southern California for a distinctly retro feel. Fashion-focused pieces also hinge on the sports theme through stretchy textures and silhouettes, including a zip-up dress, track pants and asymmetric tops accented with white zippers. The line continued the pair’s focus on merging fashion and sports, as seen in their previous collaborations inspired by activities like boxing and tennis.
“For one of my first trips post-quarantine, I went to Costa Rica and absolutely fell in love with surfing. From the athleticism to the culture that surrounds the sport, it was a natural fit for the theme of this new collection,” said Staud co-founder Sarah Staudinger in a statement. “We accentuated the vintage Southern California surf scene from the late ’80s and early ’90s, but with fresh details that bring more functionality to the pieces. The bright reds and pinks that emphasize our signature colorways are mixed with baby blues and bold logos for that heritage feeling.”
The line notably features two new colorways of New Balance and Staud’s XC-72 sneakers, which include a lace-up silhouette with recycled suede uppers, plus split outsoles and heel clips for added stability. The round-toed style’s new pairs include a multicolored palette of light blue, purple, yellow and red. However, for those who’d prefer neutrals, there’s also a style cast in white and sandy beige. Each retails for $150 on Staud and New Balance’s respective websites.
Staud and New Balance’s collaborations go back to 2019, when the brands united on their debut line — which also marked Staud’s activewear debut. Since then, the brands have continued to launch seasonal collaborative collections. They’re also respective collaborators themselves; New Balance has a reputation for launching collections with brands including Miu Miu, Todd Snyder and Aimé Leon Dore, while Staud has also launched a co-branded collection with Birkenstock. Their line has even found fans in a range of celebrities over the last several years, including Katie Holmes.
The New Balance x Staud collection, which retails from $70-$195, is now available on Staud’s website and New Balance’s website.