WTAPS and New Balance To Deliver an Olive Drab 992
With his notable collective of labels, Tetsu Nishiyama has never shorted the world of his creative output. FPAR, Descendant, and -- most notably -- WTAPS have continued to stay relevant throughout the years, and luckily for the culture, we’ve received a handful of collaborations alongside. Using his militaristic imprint as the focal point, the now legendary designer is teaming up with New Balance to help celebrate their 992’s recent revival.
After a long hiatus of over 14 years, the model has hit the ground running from its very first modern release, with some even selling out at nearly all stockists. Nishiyama -- who was already a huge fan of the American footwear brand -- is using his pair to capture the core aspects of the New Balance identity while infusing the ethos of his WTAPS imprint. He does this to great effect even in the coloring alone, as the grey and olive drab gradation along with the subtler hits of orange and sky blue effectively nod to both aesthetics all at the same time. Elsewhere, embossed details at the tongue and rear reference the Japanese stalwart’s favorite silhouette -- the 998 -- while reflective “N” logos and “WTAPS” dressings mark the profile and heel, respectively.
Grab a solid look at these here and sit tight for their Japan exclusive release on May 1st. For a list of stockists, head over to WTAPS.com.
