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New Balance 992: the shoe in which the iPhone was unveiled

New Balance released the 992 in 2006 to mark the brand’s hundredth anniversary, as the successor to the 991. What should have remained a solid American running shoe became something else when Steve Jobs made it a fixed part of his uniform. In 2007 he wore it at the keynote where he unveiled the first iPhone, and since then the 992 has been inextricably linked to that image of jeans, a turtleneck, and grey sneakers.

The shoe itself deserves that attention even without that story. The upper stacks suede and mesh in layers, with the N as a large panel on the flank and the model number on the heel panel. The midsole is noticeably fuller than that of the 991 and features a transparent window in the heel behind which the cushioning is visible. Below, a flat outsole runs past the heel.

Within New Balance’s top line this is the American branch. The 990 is the original form of that series, the 993 the successor, and the 991 is actually made in England. The numbers don’t rise by chance: each model adds something to the idea that a daily running shoe can also be a utilitarian object for decades.

That the 992 then grew into a symbol of quiet, functional taste is exactly why it is still made. No color explosions, no collaborations that alter the silhouette. Just a shoe that twenty years later still does the same thing.

On this page you can see which versions of the New Balance 992 are currently the hottest according to the Hypescore, from which price they can be found and in how many shops they are in stock.