New Balance is closing out the summer with a softer treatment of the 990v4, and the Grey Violet pair pulls the Made in USA runner into a pale purple it has not really worn before.
Most of the upper stays inside the Grey Violet palette. Open mesh runs across the toe box, tongue, and side panels, then shaggy pigskin suede layers over the toe, eyestays, and heel. The longer nap shows up most around the mudguard and the rear of the shoe. The same light violet carries onto the tongue and laces, so white outlined N logos and white heel tabs end up doing all of the contrast work. Metallic silver sits on the tongue labels and rear branding, with the 990 marking near the lateral heel. Underfoot, New Balance moves to Timberwolf for the midsole rather than continuing the purple, with black rubber at the toe, heel, and outsole.
The 990 arrived in 1982 as a $100 running shoe, a price that made headlines when most running shoes sat well under sixty. The fourth version landed in 2013 and has quietly become the enthusiast’s pick of the family, close enough to the original proportions to feel correct without the bulk later versions added. ENCAP cushioning still does the work underneath.
This proves how much room New Balance still has left in tonal colorways. No collaborator, no logo swap, just a color and a material change on a shoe people already trust.
Release details: $195, releasing September 3, 2026, style code U990LV4.
Where to buy: NewBalance.com and select New Balance retailers.
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