New Balance is putting out new models at a pace that’s leaving the rest of the industry dizzy. The 1954R, the 2000 variants, Action Bronson’s 2811, Ronnie Fieg’s 2011, the Ellipse. And now, on 1 October, the New Balance 983 (U9835DU) joins them: a brand-new silhouette the brand dropped worldwide all at once, with Coco Gauff as its first face.
No retro, but familiar parts
Here’s the interesting bit about the 983. It brings back no archive model at all. Instead New Balance pulls loose elements from their mid-2000s running shoes and builds something new with them, exactly the way the 9060 did. The upper has the round overlays of that generation with a classic N on the saddle, and underneath is where the real work happens: oval ABZORB SBS pods through the midsole, framed by wavy shapes that run out into the outsole. On this first colourway you can see it clearly. The upper is built from steel-blue and petrol glossy material, with dark grey mesh on the side panels and tongue, a grey heel clip and an anthracite N outlined in blue. In the midsole sit two lilac-grey translucent pods, one at the heel and one under the forefoot, as if two chunks were cut out of the sole and replaced with something else. The outsole runs black. SoleRetriever calls the colourway “Shadow Blue/Zinc Blue”, and that covers it.
A brand that backs a shoe just ships it
There’s a difference between a brand that keeps releasing colours and one that dares to build silhouettes. New Balance is doing the second this year, and the 983 is the clearest sign of it: no nostalgia, no anniversary, just a new shoe that looks like it could have existed in 2005 but never did. That’s a risk. The 9060 became a phenomenon, the 1000 less so, and which way the 983 goes is anyone’s guess. What we do know: it launched on 1 October 2026 worldwide at $160 in the US, confirmed by Sneaker News, Sneaker Bar Detroit and SoleRetriever. No raffle, no exclusive window, no manufactured scarcity. A brand that trusts a model just puts it on the shelf.
What it costs across regions
This is the rare early drop where the comparison already carries all three regions. On Solezilla.com there are sixteen euro listings from regular retailers sitting tightly between €185 and €203 — Size?, Foot Locker, BSTN, JD Sports, Foot District, Sneakersnstuff and more, so this is normal retail, not resale. For the UK there are four listings running roughly £160 to £182 at the familiar shops, with one lone size showing lower. For the US there’s a listing at $149, just under the $160 sticker. Because it’s brand new, there’s no settled Hypescore to read yet — so this one goes straight to the vote. New model, no history to lean on, just the shape and the sole to judge: Grail or Bail? Compare price and size on the 983 U9835DU page, watch the next colourways land on the New Balance 983 model page, and find the rest on New Balance. Rule the Hype.