New Balance and Pace Collaborate on 327 Sneaker
It is no secret to the diehard sneakerheads that New Balance is quickly becoming one of the must-have brands today.
Several popular New Balance shoes are rooted in performance, but they’ve also gained popularity within the lifestyle space thanks to successful partnerships with brands such as Concepts, Kith and Aimé Leon Dore, which have helped the Boston-based shoe giant gain footing within highly sought-after sneaker collections.
More from WWD
With new propositions like the New Balance 327 — which debuted April 2020 as a collaboration with Casablanca — New Balance has quickly garnered praise for its equal-parts heritage and modern design.
Closing out the year, New Balance has teamed up for the first time with São Paulo-based and Japanese-influenced brand Pace to deliver a special iteration of the 327 model titled “The Pacer,” conceptualized with one common pillar in mind: family.
“Amidst the chaos in 2020, and with several uncertainties, we came to the name “The Pacer,” which means ‘walking,’ to remember that we are always moving forward, always walking,” explained Felipe Matayoshi, creative director and founder of Pace.
Attention to detail has always been implemented in the brand’s footwear portfolio and it’s visible with the 327 silhouettes as well. With an all-tonal cream look, the shoe is composed of different materials including nylon (using a pattern on the stitching similar to military jacket liners), which covers the tongue, genuine leather for soft texture, and heavyweight leather used on the oversize “N” logo. On the heel, Matayoshi references the sport of Gateball, placing the 327, and the Pace logo, in the red balls used to play the Japanese game.
The insole of the shoe boasts an illustration of Matayoshi’s friend Taiyu Eto, a breakdancer and illustrator from Osaka, Japan, and represents the story of an Okinawa immigrant who leaves the Japanese islands with no possessions in search of a new home, an ideology that has been embraced by the Brazilian culture.
“The Pacer” will retail for $175 and is available now to purchase with global distribution on Pace’s official site.
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
