A Charlotte Hornets Uniform Slides Onto The New Balance rich 996 YV996CEB

Though they may not have a wide portfolio of official club agreements, nothing has ever stopped New Balance from alluding to sports teams with their offerings. Very much in that school of thought, the upcoming New Balance rich 996 YV996CEB tacitly pay homage to one of the defining NBA squads of yore in Charlotte Hornets “Aqua/Grape.”

Given the 1980s origins of the model and the 1990s cultural purchase that the Hornets carved out, these are retro in broad strokes rather than a specific ode to any time period. That said, the varied inspirations that these shoes as a whole take from lead to a shoe that simply feels like old school basketball.

Of the two shades utilized here, “Aqua” plays a more complementary role, only used as a statement shade on the outsole. As you work up on the sneaker, the configuration stays true to familiar 650 territory. “Grape” outlines in piping around leather panels, the tongue and the forefoot. It’s also used heavily at the back of the shoe, gracing the leather rear webbing and the heel cup.

While these two trademark shades taken together readily point to North Carolina, it’s worth noting that the combo works just as well without that allusion- the Jordan 5 “Grape” stands as another retro sneaker that’s done similar. All that said, no matter how New Balance arrived at this colorway, its throwback appeal remains impactful all the same.

No release date has been confirmed yet for the New Balance rich 996 YV996CEB “Aqua/Grape.” In lieu of that, anticipate a drop on NewBalance.com in the short term future, dropping in men’s sizing for $140.

In more news for the Boston brand, the New Balance collab calendar is heating up via early looks at the New Balance Speed Fuel Σορτς Παντελόνι.

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