Jamal Murray Leveled Up a Courtside Fit with New Balance's Crispest Kicks

Justin Tafoya / Stringer

The voracious, insatiable, seemingly never-ending hype cycle of the New Balance 550—a forgotten '80s hoops shoe turned unlikely streetwear staple—has made it tempting to think of the model as overplayed and overrated. But while fashion-world ubiquity has caused elitists to turn their backs on this classic American sneaker, there’s one realm where the beloved 550 clearly isn’t played out: on the basketball court.

In Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray, New Balance clearly have a fan. One of their marquee NBA ambassadors, the newly minted NBA Champion and lethal Canadian shooter accompanies All Star-level talent like Kawhi Leonard, Dejounte Murray, and Zach LaVine as pros on the New Balance basketball roster, and you’ll regularly see Murray on court shooting lights out in the company’s performance line of kicks. During last season’s NBA finals, Murray even debuted the highly-anticipated TWO WXY v3s from New Balance and Aime Leon Dore, showing off the brand’s potential for making hype-worthy footwear at the sport’s highest level. While they have nowhere near the real estate of the Air Jordan, the Boston-based manufacturer has made it clear that when it comes to elite sports shoes, they can hang.

But during last night’s home game against the visiting San Antonio Spurs at the Ball Arena in Denver, Murray made an impression that was far more unexpected. Still sitting out with a hamstring injury—he’s been sidelined for ten games but is expected to return to the Nuggets' lineup this week—Murray cheered on his team in no less than a crisp pair of 550s in burgundy and cyan, showing off one of the silhouette’s most understated and tasteful colorways in all its dad-favored glory with an oversized T-shirt and sweats.

Whatever your personal feelings around the 550 and its current streetwear status, it’s hard to deny that the shoe looked damn good against the immaculately buffed surface of the hardwood, proving what made this simple and striking shoe so iconic in the first place. Maybe it wouldn’t be appropriate for actually playing basketball—we’ll leave that for more technical footwear. But Murray made it obvious that the classic look of a New Balance sneaker has more than earned pride of place on the basketball court.

Originally Appeared on GQ

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