New Balance is Reviving the 509 Silhouette With Help from Do Hee Kim

Published October 17, 2024

Revivals have become commonplace at New Balance, as the purveyor of “dad shoes” and mesh runners has brought back multiple models. This string of comebacks includes the New Balance 1000, 475, and, most recently, the 740. Now, the brand is bringing back another sneaker in 2024—the New Balance 509—with updated tooling borrowed from the New Balance 530.

Doing some digging on the New Balance 509, it’s hard to get a complete picture of its history. It shares DNA with some of the budget mesh runners from New Balance’s past, as it comes with a simple mesh and leather construction, but pinning down a time frame it was on the market is tough. Some online pairs come with early 2010s production, which aligns them with the aforementioned 740, another techy mesh runner. As with the 740 and other revivals like the 2002R and 1906R, tooling is updated, with the 509 now borrowing the New Balance 530’s sole unit.

The two initial colorways for this comeback, one in Plum Brown Black and the other in Black Silver were crafted with the help of Korean fashion designer Do Hee Kim, founder of the brand XLIM. Inspiration for both pairs comes from ice dying, as Kim stated in an Instagram caption: “We reimagined the U509 from a fresh perspective by harmoniously blending various materials into a single shoe, utilizing ice dyeing to achieve irregular and unpredictable results.” The Plum Brown Black rendition sees the plum hues applied to the patent leather overlays on the mudguard, eyestays, and midfoot, with all of these (sans the mudguard) coming with a silver graphic applied overtop the leather. A mismatched N logo hits the midfoot, coming in plum on the lateral side and silver on the medial, while the blacked-out midsole finishes the design.

On the Black Silver pair, we see a split design on the mesh base, with a black wide-spaced mesh used on the lateral side and a silver shade used on the medial. Black patent leather lands on the mudguard and overlay, and the New Balance 509-branded panel is along the tongue. Finishing the design is the same black Abzorb-cushioned New Balance 530 midsole.

The two New Balance 509 colorways, directed by Do Hee Kim, will release on October 18, 2024, through New Balance’s Asian websites and XLIM online. Available in unisex sizing, the retail price is set at NT$3,480 in Taiwan (approximately $110 USD), though it’s possible once the model hits stateside in other colorways, the retail will be different. Check below for images of the first two colorways of the New Balance 509’s return, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.

Images via Do Hee Kim