Performance Tech Meets Tyrolean Tradition with New Balance’s All-New 1890

Already responsible for igniting one of the more polarising sneaker trends in recent years, New Balance is doubling down on its crossover design strategy with the all-new 1890.

The 1890 is further evidence of New Balance’s recent penchant for flipping the script on traditional footwear codes, where timeless shapes such as the loafer, or in this case, the Tyrolean-style derby, are reworked to reflect the brand’s standing at the intersection of performance and lifestyle footwear.

First teased by New Balance marketing executive Lee Stuart during the June 2025 edition of Paris Fashion Week, we were given a quick glimpse at the brand’s latest example of footwear experimentation, which appears to be a spiritual successor to the 1906L Loafer.

The New Balance 1890 uses an ABZORB-cushioned sole unit, likely borrowed from one of the brand’s techy runners, to hoist up a classic moc-toe upper construction, identifiable by its stitched apron toe and two-eyelet lacing system.

The 1890 sets itself apart from the 1906L Loafer by utilising premium upper materials, shown here in a creamy leather build highlighted by snake-print overlays, finished with a subtle “N” logo stitched at the base of the toe.

Currently, there are no further details available on the New Balance 1890.