About

New Balance 550

The style code reveals what the name does not. Every 550 carries a code that starts with BB, and those two letters stand for basketball. This is the court shoe the brand released in 1989 and that, after a quiet exit, returned in 2020, almost unchanged, precisely when flat basketball shoes took over the streets.

The N sits differently here

Compare it to the brand’s running models and the difference is immediate. There the letter is slim and stitched at an angle across the midpanel; here it’s a thick, blocky shape with an outline, and it sits high, up against the collar. The model number is separate, printed small next to the lacing. A basketball shoe in 1989 didn’t need subtlety, and the reissue kept it that way.

The rubber folds around the corners

Look at the toe and the heel: the outsole visibly rises there, wrapping around the edge of the midsole, often in a contrasting color. Those are the spots where a court shoe twists and brakes, and the folded rubber absorbs that. Between those points lies a flat, firm sole without visible cushioning, with the brand name pressed into the side of the midsole. Rows of small perforations in the side panel let the otherwise closed leather shoe breathe.

The heel is a stack

At the back there is no smooth heel panel but a build-up of layers: a leather clip, often a grey piece of mesh above it in the collar, and the number on its own plaque. That stacked heel and the block letter together make the 550 recognizable from the rear as well, which on the street is more often the view than the side.

What it is compared to

The obvious comparison is the Nike Dunk Low: both are flat basketball shoes from the archives, both without visible technology, both grown popular with an audience that never wore them on a court. The 550 is the more angular and sober of the two. Within the brand the 574 is the softer all-rounder, the 530 the shiny runner and the 9060 the sculpted outsider.

On this page you can see which versions of the New Balance 550 are currently the hottest according to the Hypescore, the starting price at which they can be found, and how many shops have them in stock.