#23 New Balance M990V2 Distinct – Olive
images via KITH
Once you get past the politics of the brand, which I don’t really dig into, a shoe that is Made in the USA with the care and materials of NB is hard to surpass. At a time when a 200 dollar Jordan with glue issues and cheap materials is still one of the best selling shoes, it’s almost embarrassing when you sit a premium New Balance next to a Jordan Brand shoe (in some instances). This is why NB shows up on this list several times and you would find it hard to argue against it every time especially here. The wool with pigskin overlays are gorgeous and the colorway is definitely perfect for laying out a variety of accessories. This isn’t the last model on this list and while I was initially hesitant to give this much real estate (this is the second NB on the list so far) after I finished building the list I realized I had to remove a few shoes that were my favorites based on the quality.
Price: $200
