About

New Balance 990

The 990 appeared in 1982 as the most expensive running shoe the brand had ever made, and that was intentional: no compromise, and a price tag that admitted it honestly. Since then the number has been the brand’s benchmark, in generations counted as versions. On this page they are mixed together, and the digit that separates them sits in an unexpected place.

The generation is in the style code

The titles say 990v3, 990v4 or 990v6, but the code says it more precisely: the last character of the style code is the generation number. M990GL3 is a v3, M990NC4 a v4. So if you’re looking at a listing without a clear title, read the end of the code. The generations really differ — panels, midsole construction, weight — but three things remain constant.

What each generation shares

Gray is the house color: the combination of gray suede with gray mesh is so linked to this number that every generation appears in it first. On the midsole is ENCAP, the same construction of a soft core within a hard rim that the 574 does more cheaply, here in its full form. And on the heel the number appears in slanted script with speed lines before and after it, a signature that all versions carry. Most versions also come from the brand’s American factories, and carry that as a marking on the tongue.

Dads and fashion houses

The 990 became the textbook example of the unassuming quality shoe, worn by those who don’t think about it and by those who thought about it for a long time. The brand itself turned that into a slogan. Within its own catalog the 9060 is the baroque reworking of the same parts, the 1906 the shiny technical cousin, and the 993 the closest relative from the same top line.

On this page you can see which versions of the New Balance 990 are currently hottest according to the Hypescore, from which price they can be found, and how many shops have them in stock.