Comme Des Garcons’ Low-Key New Balance Collab Is the Only Shoe We Want for Summer

Apr 12, 2022 1:00 pm

cdg nb sneakers — Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dover Street Market

Comme des Garçons has a long history of sneaker collaborations; the Rei Kawakubo-helmed label has linked up with brands like Nike and Vans, and its wildly successful collab with Converse. The Japanese label’s latest collab is with New Balance on the CT300, a retro-inspired low-top style with mesh and leather paneling. The shoe is available in white with simple black detailing and black with simple white detailing. The CT300 is part of New Balance’s Numeric line, which is the brand’s skate shoe line.

Lazy loaded image — Courtesy of Dover Street Market

CDG Homme New Balance Sneakers (White)

$320.00

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Collaborations thought up by iconic Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo are often eye-catching and logo-heavy. One need not look further than the PLAY heart logo found on Converse or the offbeat, eccentric designs the brand has produced for Nike over the years. By comparison, the Comme des Garçons Homme New Balance CT300 is decidedly more minimal. There is only visible branding on the heel tab in lettering that reads “CdGH.” Instead, Kawakubo and co. decided to focus on color (or lack thereof).

Comme des Garçons has always relied heavily on black and white, so it’s no surprise that that’s the direction it chose for these sneakers. CDG Homme stripped these shoes down to only black and white, save for the grippy gum sole. The white shoes are all white except for black lettering on the tongue and heel tabs, whereas the black shoes have more of a contrasting look, with white details including the sole, laces, “N” logo and lettering.

Comme des Garçons Homme is the CDG’s men’s line, which was established in 1978. Comme des Garçons has always had an almost comical number of sub-labels, including PLAY, SHIRT, noir, CDG, and Comme des Garçons Comme des Garçons, typically called Comme Comme. But Homme is the brand’s first diffusion line, which, as Grailed explains, embodies the most classic and “conservative” menswear designs. Of course, it’s still Comme des Garçons at its core, meaning there’s still a unique design sensibility. Still, Homme feels like one of the brand’s most wearable labels, and that’s reflected in this collaboration with New Balance.

The best thing about these CDG Homme New Balance is that they’re eminently wearable; the skate shoe style is a classic, and the black and white colorways mean they’ll go with pretty much anything. Plus, the leather upper is durable, while the mesh paneling on the toes and sides helps promote breathability and comfort. At $320, you probably won’t skate in these, but you definitely could. They’re available from Dover Street Market.