New Balance is taking the 1890A into fall with a much hairier upper, and the Cowprint pair puts a barnyard finish on a shoe that already sits somewhere between sneaker and loafer.
An off-white suede base carries black-and-white spotted fur across the vamp and side panels. Black on the midsole and outsole picks up the darker spots in the print, and white rope-style laces keep everything else quiet. Almost all of the character here comes from materials rather than color blocking or branding, which is the opposite of how most fall product gets built.
The 1890A is one of the newer entries in New Balance‘s lifestyle range, built on the low, loafer-adjacent shape the brand has been pushing as an alternative to its chunkier runners. This is not the first animal-inspired pair of 2026 either. A pale yellow snakeskin version showed up earlier in the year, and Cowprint continues that run with a heavier texture across the upper.
To me this shows how far New Balance has moved from being a running company that also sells lifestyle product. The 1890A is not a retro, it has no archive story to lean on, and the brand is still comfortable putting fur on it and asking $190. That kind of confidence is what a decade of momentum buys you.
Release details: $190, releasing September 16, 2026, style code U18906M2.
Where to buy: NewBalance.com and select New Balance retailers, in store and online.
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