A cult-like following surrounds select New Balance products, with one standing tall amongst the rest — the New Balance 1300JP. In what has become a tradition, New Balance is retroing the original Steel Blue colorway of the 1300, five years removed from the last release.
Some backstory for those who may just be getting into New Balance sneakers (or who are just unaware of the historical significance of the 1300): New Balance launched the 1300 in 1985 as its flagship luxury running shoe, retailing at the time for $130 (nearly $400 when accounting for inflation). The Boston-based footwear brand knew how expensive it was, even jokingly advertising the sneaker with the tagline “Mortage the house.” A cult-like following emerged in overseas markets for the sneaker, specifically in Japan, where collectors in the ‘90s were paying thousands for deadstock pairs from 1985.
Shinichi Kubota, the Vice President of New Balance Japan, helped spearhead a 10th Anniversary revival in 1995, the New Balance 1300JP. NB’s Japanese division oversaw the recreation of the sneaker, with the manufacturing teams in Maine and Japan delving deep into the archives to ensure the sneaker was as close to the original as possible. Unfortunately, for most of the world, this initial release was exclusive to Japan.
Thus, a 5-year tradition began. New Balance Japan would bring back the original Steel Blue colorway of the sneaker in 2000 and 2005, but the 2010 release marked the first global retro of the model and the first time since 1985 that a Vibram outsole was utilized. Five years later, NB released the sneaker to the worldwide market again, offering it at more retailers than ever. The 2020 sneaker iteration was one of the most premium recreations to date, launching alongside a Made in Japan iteration, with the Made in USA variant limited to just 1,000 pairs in the US.
We could discuss this historical sneaker in more depth, but that warrants a whole nother article and dedicated write-up. As for the 2025 retro of the New Balance 1300JP, expect the sneaker to be released on May 19, 2025, through New Balance Japan and a global release to take place on May 29 through NB and select retailers. The pair will retail for $330 Check below for official images of the 2025 sneaker version, 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 New Balance
Images via New Balance
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts and catching the latest movies. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
