Joe Freshgoods’ New Balance 990v6 Sneakers Will Release Exclusively at His Paris Art Exhibition


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Joe Freshgoods is heading to the Olympics for his New Balance 990v6 collaboration.

The Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 990v6 “Paris Red” and “Prom Blue” sneakers will release exclusively through his “A Friend Named Cousin Art Exhibition” opening Friday in Paris on the same day as the Opening Ceremony. The designer announced the exhibition Monday on Instagram with a trailer while promising more details to come and on Wednesday confirmed the sneakers will only be available at the four-day event.

As had been teased and leaked previously, Joe Freshgoods’ 990v6 will release with monochrome colorways available in either red and baby blue. The suede and mesh sneaker stands out primarily thanks to its bold coloring, but a small “JFG” logo can be seen on the mustache. Each pair will also come in a special box coordinating with its respective color scheme.

Now on his second New Balance collaboration of the year, Joe Freshgoods is known for leaning heavy into concepts for his collections. His new Balance 1000 “When Things Were Pure” capsule from referenced the early 2000s and featured a trailer spoofing an viral television news interview on sneakers from 2011. For his 990v4 from late last year, he also referenced the cult film “Belly” starring DMX and Nas, as well as an iconic XXL magazine cover featuring the latter rapper with Jay-Z and Ja Rule.

The 990v6 is the latest iteration of New Balance’s iconic 990 series and made its debut in 2022, 40 years after the original hit stores as the first $100 running shoe. Now established as a lifestyle sneaker, the 990v6 is equipped with FuelCell Foam cushioning and is otherwise differentiated primarily through small cosmetic tweaks.

Artists Jewel Ham, Teoni, Banga Minthe, Jalil Nzinga, Rello, Goldie Williams and Joseph Robinson will all show at the exhibition.

The Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 990v6 “Paris Red” and “Prom Blue” sneakers will be available first at the “A Friend Named Cousin” exhibition running from Friday, July 26, through Tuesday, July 23. Joe Freshgoods will the host a raffle for the sneakers on his website open through August 1. Pricing is set at $220.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.



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