You’ll still be able to pick up New Balance 990s wherever they’re sold. Nobody’s going to arrest you for lacing up a pair of Nike Air Monarchs. You’re not even going to get in trouble for going new-school and walking out the door in a pair of On runners.

New Balance has been eating under the trend of 2000s running shoes, but it’s latest appeal to the lifestyle sector looks back much further to a significant moment in the brand’s history.