Most people have never heard of the New Balance 475. Heck, I don’t think most sneakerheads knew they existed until the recent 2024 retro; I know I didn’t. Now having clocked in over 250,000 steps in my pair of 475s, I can safely say it is definitely a shoe worth having.
I first heard of the New Balance 475 thanks to a boutique in Tokyo called The Apartment. I stumbled upon one of its New Balance collaborations on eBay, The Apartment x New Balance 576 Made in UK “Evergreen”, and was quickly convinced it needed to become part of my wardrobe. Likely a B-Grade pair that was spotted among the discounted shelves of the Flimby Factory Outlet, this purchase put me onto the great taste of owner @taka_toucans.
It was not long after that I spotted The Apartment promoting the “Brighton Grey” NB 475, along with a youthful-looking Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons. Staged by his sofa bed next to a rack of comic books, Groening’s pose was anything but nonchalant. His pair of heavily worn NB 475s clear to see. I wonder how many steps Groening clocked in them. Suppose I’ll ask if I ever bump into him. Suppose he won’t have the faintest of clues.
Luckily for me, the NB 475 did not fly off the shelves, at least not in the UK. This meant I was able to purchase my pair of Brighton Greys for a tasty £55. After recently dabbling with the brand’s Made in USA/Made in UK models, I was hesitant to go back to any general release. Yet knowing the likelihood of a Made in X 475 was slim, I decided to bite the bullet.
As per usual, when it came down to choosing which shoe would be my sole pair for my trip away, it came to a last minute to-and-fro. Ultimately, I ended up reaching for the NB 475 for my Italian getaway.
I write this as if I hadn’t gone on hour-long walks in each New Balance shoe, trying to figure out which was the most comfortable. I think this is the closest I have come to being a Grandad (a sexy one at that).
While at first I thought that was lame, it turns out Einstein and Charles Dickens were known for taking lengthy walks, so I am in good company. Granted my ponderings were somewhat less ground-breaking. If you see me going for a stroll with my hands behind my back, you know my inner monologue is deep in the trenches over the minimal vs maximal footwear debate. Either that or I’ve given up the shoe industry and have picked up a part time job at a security firm.
One plane ride later and I was in the Sicilian city of Palermo, its potholed streets a welcome test for the 475s. Originally designed in 1986 as a high-mileage shoe, two years before the similarly numbered 574 hit the shelves. Also, if we are to go off the brand’s numbering system, then the NB 475 is supposedly the less technical runner.
During the late ‘80s New Balance also released several other 47X models which fit into the running shoe category. To the untrained eye, many of these models look identical, even I had trouble deciphering between them. Hopefully, one retired New Balance designer can chime in on the minor differences in that running shoe series? (Perhaps the models were licensed out to different manufacturers or phased out as regional exclusives).
Given the nearly 40 years since it was first released, the type of rubber midsole was not likely a 1:1 match of the originals. Not to mention that both these shoes are now labelled by New Balance as a ‘lifestyle’ shoe. So, unless you used to run marathons back in the late ‘80s and have a diehard fascination for both the 475 and 574, you will likely never see someone run in them – unless it’s for the bus. From a personal standpoint, I would say the 475 is more comfortable than the NB 574.
After each day of exploring, I’d unlace them to find I was in no discomfort. Had I brought any other shoe, I’m sure my feet would have eventually succumbed to tourist foot (an actual symptom which I only just found out myself). Not the 475 though.
One afternoon I found myself perusing the local botanical gardens. Here I sat down on a bench so I could look at the trees’ shadows dancing across the floor. I try to do this every so often, a lesson I learnt from the protagonist in Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days. Of course, once I was done living in the moment, I snapped a photo of the NB 475s. Much like the main character enjoyed his small collection of cassette tapes, I took absolute pleasure in the one shoe I had brought on my trip. Sometimes, less is more. Who knew!
Here is a photo I snapped of my NBs from my friend’s balcony, finally getting the chance to use Palermo as a backdrop. Granted, it was an overcast day, but when life gives you lemons…
A two-hour bus ride would land me in Catania. The city had all the charm of a place with a nearby Volcano. It was here where I came across my first Mom & Pops store – or at least the Italian equivalent of one. I had heard of these places for quite some time, shops that represented a bygone era of sports retail. I was super ecstatic when I had finally found one, spending almost half an hour poring over the small selection of outdated sports shoes on the wall. The lady whispered to her husband that I seemed crazy, I didn’t hold it against her. I think she was just sick of me asking questions about her stock. Don’t hate the player…
As for the shoes on my feet, they kept me at ease during an impromptu photo shoot in Catania. Obviously, I was not the subject of the shoot; instead, I tried capturing the wonderful city itself which managed to pose unashamedly in the warm Sicilian sun.
The city of Napoli was next up on the docket, taking what must have been my best ever train ride up the South-West coast of Italy. Arriving in Napoli, I was escorted rather hastily via car by my Airbnb host. Passing this fast drive-by as a ‘quick tour’, it wasn’t long before the gentleman tried getting me to cancel my booking and pay him in cash. A dicey character. Never trust someone wearing a “Make Money Not Friends” hoodie – it is literally written all over them.
A photo of my shoes strewn across the once considered decadently tiled floor summed up my current attitude. Serves me right for choosing a spot so close to the station. Mind you, it did make for a short journey to Pompeii. Swings and roundabouts. Speaking of, here is a photo of my wonderful shoes with a roundabout in the background (I promise that wordplay wasn’t planned).
I decided to stay on in Napoli, not wanting that experience to leave the wrong impression of the city. This time I headed for an area next to Lungomare. I love being next to water, so surely this area would already be a vast improvement on the room before. While I do enjoy a train ride, living next to a train station is another kettle of fish. Walking along the coastline provided many a photo opportunity for abandoned shoes. The beach seemed to be littered with them, just like the concrete pavements of Palermo.
It was also this walk that took me to one of the best seafood restaurants I have ever come across – Il Miracolo Del Pesci. It was also here that I became fond of Limoncello. Unfortunately, none have come close since. Perhaps it wasn’t the Limoncello, but the friends we made along the way … (I think I heard this sentence in a film before, I thought it was apt).
The next day I headed away from sea level and upwards into Napoli’s hilly mountainside. From this height, the city was observable in a different form. Granted, you could no longer spot individually discarded shoes, but this was easily forgotten as my eyes were busy working its way over the distinctly-coloured landscape. It was high up in Napoli’s hills that I decided to take what was arguably the best photo of the NB 475s.
It was also at this altitude that I stumbled across the neighbourhood of Vomero, a name that has recently skyrocketed in the footwear scene thanks to the hugely popular Nike Vomero 14. This was a happy coincidence for my shoe-obsessed self. After grabbing a much-needed ice cream, I wandered into the Nike Vomero store, but the experience was largely dissapointing.
Had it been the late ’90s, the store might have housed a number of regional exclusives and I could have walked out like some an off-duty Giuseppe Giannini (minus the questionable trim) – sadly I would have been a baby at that point.
After a much-needed day of rest in Salerno, I headed to my final stop, Rome. Here, I spent more time looking up than down. My focus fixed on the enormous statues and paintings held within the Vatican. My New Balances, while perfectly adept, would become shadowed by a historied portrayal of footwear which included a pair of custom adidas Predators gifted to the late Pope Francis.
A huge fan of the Argentinian football team, these boots made the perfect gift for what was the most powerful man in the Catholic Church. No matter who you are, footwear is for everyone.
I hope the current US-born Pope Leo gets a pair of signature Air Jordans so he can dunk on these proverbial haters (haters in this case representing sin and everything evil in the world). They could come in the “Bred”/”Bread” colourway … the opportunity for wordplay is just too good to turn down. Maybe skip the holy water in the midsole part, that might be a little too controversial after seeing the backlash that MSCHF received.
I began to wear thin towards the last few days, however this wasn’t the case for the shoes on my feet. Proving just as comfortable as they had been during the first few thousand steps, the New Balance 475s had not failed me once. From Palermo to Roma, from ice cream to Pizza, from heel-to-toe, I have only positive things to say about the assortment of suede and rubber that was wrapped around my feet.
If you’re debating a re-up on your current pair of 508s or 327s, I’d suggest checking out the New Balance 475s instead. If they still look too clunky for you and I have still not managed to convince you, then no harm, no foul – more for me! (Although I doubt the majority of you reading this would have picked up a UK12.5).
Thanks for reading, Shoe Spotting In Italy piece soon come!
wear shoes, write poems 