Ugly In a Good Way

The "dad shoe" aesthetic doesn't disappear; it evolves.

Ever since it was announced in April 2021 that Teddy Santis would be taking a role as the Creative Director of New Balance Made in USA, the Aimé Leon Dore founder has been on a massive tear. The first collection he put out reimagined several shoes in the 990 series, applying his elegant approach to color to the 990v1, 990v2, and 990v3. While New Balance is known for its muted colorways—namely the quiet grays associated with its flagship footwear—its sneakers had all the IT department appeal of a boring PC or old-school Motorola DynaTAC.