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People have been asking me to review the New Balance 550. Here’s a review on the model. A review of the specific pair I bought is at the end of the article.
I have mixed feelings on this model overall. I grabbed the white/blue colorway in order to see if these lived up to all the hype. While the silhouette looks great in that vintage type of way, I can’t say I’m a fan of how they feel on foot (more on that below). These don’t tend to use the same high quality materials that the New Balance Made in USA and Made in England lines provide. However, they generally retail for about half as much as their Made line counterparts.
New Balance 550 History
The 550 from New Balance originally released in 1989 as a basketball sneaker and low-top counterpart to the 650. In 2020, the brand began producing retros again as casual sneakers.
Like many other brands in the 80s and 90s, New Balance wanted to capitalize on athlete endorsements for its basketball kicks. Celebrity basketball stars did not get the memo however, and did not rally behind the 550 or the 650.
The 550 saw some limited success outside the US before being lost to time. During that period in the late 80s and early 90s, New Balance was competing with a flood of new and popular basketball sneakers. So, rather than stand out, the sneaker seemed to fall by the wayside.
According to Sneaker Freaker magazine, the 550 was rediscovered by Teddy Santis, who inquired with NB about what sneaker it was. Even New Balance had to go look it up!
Eventually, Aimé Leon Dore teamed up with NB and produced four colorways of the 550 in 2020. This kickstarted the series of collabs and general release retros of the sneaker.
Looks – New Balance 550
The NB 550 is a smart looking lowtop basketball sneaker that blends in categorically with kicks like the Reebok Club C and Adidas Forum. The vintage aesthetic is one of the main appeals of the sneaker in modern context.
Thanks to the hightop cut, the New Balance 650 looks a lot more like an 80s basketball shoe generally speaking. Most well known basketball kicks were high tops, and lowtops were often more of an accompanying lifestyle/off-court deal.
Still, there’s a certain “look” that the 550 has as the lowtop counterpart to the 650 that blends right in with other shoes like the Reebok Club C, Adidas Forum Low, Blazer Low, Nike Dunk Low, Air Force 1 Low, etc.
As is typical of this style of sneaker, up top you have a lot of overlapping layers that are typically in leather. Sneakers that originally released in the early 90s had not taken advantage of more modern, lightweight materials yet.
The outsole of the shoe remains chunky, just like a lot of the other kicks mentioned above. Is this sneaker actually practical for a game of hoops? Probably not. Does it look of it’s time? Definitely.
How Do The New Balance 550 Fit?
The NB 550’s sizing is slightly long and narrow across the bridge of the foot at true to size. A half size down will be tight widthwise, so true to size is still recommended.
The New Balance 550 are an overall true to size sneaker, albeit snug across the bridge of the foot, even when laced loosely. Despite being a retro hoop shoe, these feel relatively light on feet. The Ortholite insole feels vaguely comfortable, not very cushy but definitely noticeable.
Overall, the snugness and narrow fit are my major gripe. I feel like if I go up a half size, it will feel less constrictive, but the sneaker will be flopping all over the place awkwardly on my feet. At true to size, the shoe “fits”, but I couldn’t get the leather uppers to break in fast enough to where I can confidently say the shoe is comfortable.
If they found a way to widen the sneaker slightly without breaking the aesthetic, I’d have kept my pair. As it is though, I had to get rid of it as after the first few attempts, I couldn’t see myself suffering through another wear.
Fit and comfort of course will vary for you depending on how your foot is shaped.
Are The New Balance 550 Good Quality?
Quality on the 550 is decent overall but varies depending on the material composition of each colorway. The model is not part of New Balance’s Made lines and generally has average quality materials. The shoe is solidly constructed however.
Some collabs and limited pairs have upgraded materials. Regardless, the sneaker gives off a quality vibe when in hand due to it’s solid build.
I guess you could say the sneaker’s quality is good compared to something like a basic pair of Air Force 1s, however in this style of sneaker you might be better served grabbing a pair of Forum 84s instead. You would have a similar look, but more comfort and better odds on the materials having a softer and nicer feel.
Where To Buy The New Balance 550?
You can shop for the NB 550 at sneaker boutiques, aftermarket sites, and of course New Balance’s website.
Shop New Balance 550s on: eBay
For where to get the specific pair(s) featured in this article, see below:
New Balance 550 White / Blue Review
This is one of the first “mainline” or general release colorways New Balance dropped when the sneaker first returned in late 2020. It restocked in 2022 allowing me to get a pair for myself
Buy: eBay
Colorway: White with team royal
Style Code: BB550SN1
Year of Release: 2020
Retail: $110
I like how the blue pops against the white on this sneaker. This gives the upper a sharp, clean look. The slightly off white midsole contributes to the vintage look this sneaker is going for in a pleasing way.
The quality on this pair is pretty basic. They ship in a plain grey New Balance box similar to the Incense / Heliotrope 2002r I got the month prior. Plain white laces only and an ortholite tag. The basic quality results in the upper feeling a bit stiff right off the bat, however they seem to break in decently enough.
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