Actually there is a reason for the cut out in the cupsole, it allows the cushion to expand which is important in performance basketball shoes for impact protection, not having a cut like that is part of what has made the Jordan 1 unwearble for play compared to other releases from the 80s
It also allows the cup-sole to flex more at the ball of the foot! Otherwise the side walls will buckle and wave and create hotspots when you flex your foot and stretch the midsole/outsole
I've been a shoe salesman for the past 17 years, at chain establishments. Your videos are both a fantastic product knowledge resource (things like docs vs tims, or the white mountains vs birks) and just really satisfying from a morbid, shoe destruction standpoint. loved the monarch video.
I used to manage an athletic shoe store near Lawrence, Mass. where New Balance had a factory. Every once in a while some NB guys would come into my store and buy 5-6 competitors' shoes to do exactly what you are doing here - cutting them up to see how they are made. Nice to finally see what they were doing back then.
The white/green general release 550s have been my daily beaters since last summer and they're holding up amazingly well. There's barely any outsole wear at all. I treat them terribly. I laced them on the first day and ever since then I just shove my feet in like an animal. Confirmed tanks.
The loss of shoe patterns is a damn good argument for companies to create corporate archives so those types of records are identified, preserved, and made accessible to company researchers. Archives and their archivists present capital value but oft goes unnoticed.
Now that you've done the Nike Dunks, the New Balance 550's, I would personally love to watch a video on the Adidas Forum 84 low! Since these are sort of competitors. I would love to see the quality of the Forum 84s and see how it stands against the other two.
I have one pair of this shoes,. first month of wearing it, it's like standing on top of a stone. now I know, it's because the fiberboard. but after wearing it like 2-3 months, it's starting to feel like comfy, very very comfy. thanks, Rose! I love this video. keep it up
I have little interest in sneaker culture but YOU make it interesting and I love every second of your content. I love your boot teardowns since I do work in heavy industry and love knowing what's in who's boot, shoe, sneaker and so on. Keep up the awesome content. "Redback gang"
Love the take on the leather quality! Though the special project/collab pairs are distinctly different in hand feel. The ALD, Rich Paul, Auralee, etc. 550’s have a noticeably thicker leather and they don’t have that plastic finish these GR joints have. Hoping to see your take on those in comparison!
I was thinking this! I have the ALD green pair as well as a GR pair of Oreo 550s and there are differences I can feel in the leather. I’m hoping they are brave enough to cut up a collab pair and see how the leather holds up
I agree, although I can only confirm this with the ALD 550, this Collab does seem to have a thicker leather, also seems softer. Hoping they can do the same with one of the collabs
Slice a pair of Forums next! Would be cool to see the literal comparison between these three giants and how they stack up. dunk/j1 vs 550 vs Forum low/84 high.
Very similar to the Rivalry Row from Adidas: three quarters sole stitching, foam, stiffness, and they are both 80s bball shoes with less technology than their competitors. Great video! Really appreciated the history of the model. I've heard some people say that the Aimee Dore collab has a better leather quality, but I don't know
I just checked some of the newer 550’s in the London flagship store and looks like they have significantly altered the leather. It’s much more soft to the touch and doesn’t seem all that plasticky anymore.
they definitely have. I think after releasing the ALD collab they realized they needed to step up the quality of materials on their GR pairs. I just bought a GR pair on sale earlier today and the leather quality is alot nicer on my pair compared to the ones he cut apart.
Please cut open a pair of the new Jordan 1 Highs in the ‘85 cut! The construction is a bit different than other recent Jordan 1s (I could be wrong, but I think I’ve heard that they are even board lasted, at least the Georgetowns) to be more true to the originals from ‘85, and I’d love to get your take on them. Either way, I love the channel! Keep up the good work!
Theoretically you can resole most sneakers, most people just don’t do it because it’s harder to get the sole you need unless you buy fake soles for that shoe, which probably isn’t a bad idea just for a sole, probably some other small reasons too
Great video. Crazy how even though the leather is bad, the overall construction of the sneaker is pretty top-tier. As others mentioned, would love to see you deconstruct an ALD 550. It's a collab and apparently is made with better materials, so would be cool to see if that is true or not
The guy went ahead and cut up the cheapest 550 gr lol and generalized it to be alll 550 apparently 😅a lot of 550 colorways and different version comes with all sorts of materials.
@@joconderoma1453 100%. I just got home from Footlocker where I picked up a GR pair on sale for $82 and the leather on them is really nice with no polyurethane coating and the suede is really nice quality too.
What I don't understand is why sweatshop sneakers always cover up real leather with plastic coatings, then imprint a pattern to make it look like leather which they just covered up.
because they are buying cheap splits and then coating them. The splits are basically throwaway layers that have no real strength or any top grain to them. They can buy that and coat it way cheaper than using full grain leather.
The inside of a shoe is called the Medial side. The outside is called the Lateral side. The cupsole cut out is very similar to the Reebok Club C, and I've always liked the feeling as it lets my arch do what it wants. Adi Superstars, Air force's and the like feel horrid underfoot because I end up having the outsole digging into my arch.
love the look of these shoes, I've always been obsessed with that 90's look in shoes which is why I love the AirMax1's, 90's, and 93's, AF1's , and of course the Reebok Classics I guess i was never familiar with these shoes back in my time but had i known about them i would've easily bought these, they look so good and definitely going to buy a pair once i can find one at a decent price
I had cracks on my 550s sides after one week. And now after a litte more than a year, I even have an open crack/hole on top of my rigth toebox. Now I understand why!
ur killing it lately. i reckon ive seen you gain half a mil subscribers in the last year? You've totally changed what i look at when i go shoe shopping
The 550 is the same silhouette as the OG Adidas Forum low, continental 80 and the Reebok Workouts. The all black reebok workouts were one of the most popular shoes here in the UK in 90s especially amongst school kids as we could stealth rock them instead of shoes (which are part of a mandatory school uniform in most schools). Weird how they get no love now at all especially considering how that retro silhouette is all the rage now.
We used to wear workouts for uniforms in Kentucky too. Workouts definitely had a moment for more trendy people on the coasts a few years ago. Yeezy even had a knockoff. In the US though Reebok is not nearly as esteemed as Nike, Adidas, or New Balance anymore.
I go to a physiotherapy gym a couple of times a month for us old/and or disabled people and the NB's are very popular with a lot of the older folks who have either ankle, foot, shin or knee issues. Its not so much that they're ripping up and down a basketball court or anything frisky like that, but they are a very comfortable shoe that gives them a lot more support and impact protection than most of the Nike or Reebok types of sneakers out there. Outside of the better Asics or Addidas range of running shoes which can be a bit pricier, the New Balance's are a pretty solid choice and for some uses like the gym where they're mostly worn inside the leather being plastic coated isn't so much of an issue.
Clicked the video expecting it was a clickbait or something, and I wasn’t even interested in the NB 550 but this channel is both interesting and relevant! Thanks for THIS content!
Just saw this particular pair, color is currently flying out the door, selling out online all because Taylor Swift was wearing this exact pair at the Chiefs game this past Sunday. 🤷🏻♂I'm not an NB expert, surely not a material expert...and don't own a 550 NB. I do find my old 992 (didn't pay retail, this was an unworn thrift store find!) and recent 9060 ($150 retail) extremely comfortable! Suede material feels ok I guess...but right now comfort is key...that's all I care about. lol. This channel is fascinating....thanks so much!
love the videos but I do have one suggestion. i've seen the smoke test being done which is a good addition to the tests, but my gripe with it is that smoke always follows the path of least resistance. since the tongue is left "open" it will almost always escape through there regardless of how well ventilated the shoe is, maybe if you were to add some more tape to the sides of the tongue it might be more telling of how much airflow can come through those perforations.
@@madtonesbr Um, your foot should occasionally create a partial seal or even full seal as you walk around. It should also help with heat transfer, but that's a side issue.
I like these shoes a lot too, just a cool looking retro. I think the ald versions may be better quality and I'd love to see like a made in USA 550 with pig suede etc but it's also nice to get a rad NB sneaker that isn't like $250CA+,
Thanks for this video. I have the ALD 550s and everything you said about the inside of the shoe makes sense after wearing them for a bit. Being able to resole these is CRAZY!!!
@@60zeller tbh, those are two questions I don't have answers to, nor are they really concerns to me, not enough to inquire, anyways. i didn't say i would be resoling my ALD 550s; just intrigued by the idea.
I've got a pair of the ALD 650s as well as a regular release 550s. I definitely feel the leather quality is different between the two with the ALD ones feeling alot less plasticky. Would be interested to know if the leather used is actually different
@@samujo88 lol no they don't, especially not at retail price. If they don't tell you they're using full grain leather they aren't. They're an equally cheap made in china pair. The ALD Made in England pairs cost like 2x as much
I can almost guarantee the ALD ones are a lot nicer. I’ve only owned the GR ones but the way I see the ALDs crease from people online vs mine is super different. Couldn’t say if the actual leather is nicer but it’s definitely a lot softer coating on top.
could you please do reebok club c 85? i was intrigued by the hype of 80s court sneakers. people said the shoes are comfortable and comparable to air forces, nb 550, adidas forum & rivalry, and even dunks in silhouette and price range wise
I think the dadwave trend really made these come back to life in a big way. Steven Smith had an absolutely gem of a design with these, and as us shoe historians know...he's right up there in conversation alongside notables like Tinker Hatfield. With this design, I think it makes sense for NB to go to the same typical sneaker factory that Adidas/Nike use, but to use these as marketing tools/cash stimulus for the MIA/MIE designs is a great decision on NB's part!
is the ald better quality than the normal one? i was thinking about buying the ald since this video basically killed off any desire i had for the normal one
@@SpirithunterBOMB the ALD 550s & the Rich Paul 550s both have better feeling leathers. The quality of the ALDs is likely much more premium, whereas the Rich Paul’s have that tumbled feel that makes them much softer. Personally I prefer the tumbled leather feel over the stiffer ones, but it’s all up to preference.
If I remember correctly, the ALD 550’s should have a top grain leather. I think I read it in their item description. Maybe it would be fun to compare the ALD collaborations against the similar looking general release pairs. I assume there’d only be a difference in the leather quality and some style changes, but who knows
Would love to see you cut up a pair of Vessi "shoes". I find many of their claims hard to believe (not the waterproofness, more around the construction and materials) Also, having tried a pair on, I personally find them odd to wear as a shoe.. They feel more like a slipper, no grip(inside, foot slips around in the shoe), my feet did sweat and they feel like they have a rubber or similar layer under the cloth. On the plus side, they are quick and easy to slip on, comfortable (as long as not too active) and they are super lightweight.
I've been wearing them for over a month now and they still hurt so much. I rotate wearing boosts, dunks and the 550s because my feet need a break from how stiff they are.
Considering what sneakers cost nowadays (especially Nike retros), I don't see $110 for the 550s as a "cash grab". I owned a pair of white/blue 550s back in the day when they originally came out. I own 2 pairs of the retro, and I think they're comfortable and I'm completely satisfied with my purchase.
The last time I bought a sneaker I wanted New Balance made in America. They didn't have my color or correct size so I bought Brooks. Nice sneaker but the left one developed a squeak when walking. I would love you to cut open a new 990v5 and a 993 from NB. And here your thoughts. Great channel.
With the leather wrapping around the lasting board, could these shoes be resoled on a wider sole (2E)? Is so, and recommendations on where some would source a wider cup sole?
Been watching your show for ages, glad to see you are getting the hype you deserve! 😊 a pair of shoes that have come into my radar lately that look to be great contenders to the Air Force 1 are the Puma Slipstream’s. They look pretty legit with a nice price tag, would love yo see those cut up! 😊 keep doing what you do!
I bought a GR version of this shoe , didn't like how the leather was and returned them . But I heard a ton of praise for the ALD version . I would love a dissection comparison to the ALD 550 vs the GR .550 . A 20$ difference really bring the shoe to another level ?
New Balance are not only the only sneaker I buy, I am NOT a sneaker head by any measure, but the only shoe I buy where I really don't care about the leather. I have super flat feet and pronate badly so the USA made 1540s are my goto. Never had any foot issues since I switched to the NBs that are specifically engineered for feet like mine. Cost a bit more than the $100 550s but worth it to not have shin splints and knee issues after running. I think in some applications the best material for the job may be an engineered material and NB seems to use several different materials in their upper end shoes to accomplish specific task such as pronation control and foot stability.
I bought a bunch of 550s recently, would not recommend for people with wide feet whatsoever. Great video as always, thank you for exposing these multi million dollar cooperations!
@@jorgevillegas1178 it’s very annoying. When you buy them from their website they do offer a wide version but you can never select it. Just always defaults to standard. So my guess is they only come in standard width
I have a pair of these: compared to AF1s or Dunks I found them much more sturdy and well constructed, this did a good job explaining why that is. They’re a nice shoe and a good everyday casual shoe that lasts long..even tho the leather kinda sucks
I would love to see you cut open the NB 327, preferably one from the primary pack that has perforated leather on the outside and medial of the shoe, with a suede heel and toe
Would be interesting to see your review of the ALD 550s vs the GR 550s in this video. I own a pair of each, and in my completely novice opinion, the leather on the ALD 550s looks/feels higher quality. It even seems to crease less than the GR 550s, I'm guessing it has less of a plastic coating.
I've actually worn my 550s a lot for about a year. Despite the bad leather, these are built like tanks and hold up better than any other lower end rebook, Adidas, or Nike. The fabric in them is high quality, so no rips around the ankle yet. I have a pair of alds now too, the leather is nicer, but no plastic coating also means more scuffs
Interesting point on the tongue, I recently got a pair of 57/40 and although they seem good quality, the tongue got detached when I was putting them on, and the other one has become loose. I have a pair of 827 as the go to
I don't know about anyone else, but the reason I buy NB sneakers, is because I can get them in the width I need, 4e. It's hard to find anything near that with in most brands.
this is strange. I literally just got home from Footlocker. I picked up a pair of 550s on sale for $82 and the ones I got have nice soft leather without a thick polyurethane coating and the toebox mudguard on my pair is a really nice soft suede. This pair isn't a collab either like ALD, it is just a normal GR pair. Obviously, NB must use different quality materials on different colorways. So, the pair reviewed here doesn't seem indicative of the quality of materials on all 550s.
Curious to see what’s inside Salomon’s : xt6, xt4, wings 2. Tons of shoes you can do in the hiking technical realm. Nike ACG stuff also. Nike’s carbon fiber plate stuff too.
I’d love to see you cut in half some Hoffman 16” Pole Climbers, or some Italian hiking boots such as Crispi’s, Kenetrek’s, etc. Love your videos, keep up the great work.👍🏻
Color me impressed (80’s humor). New balance has always been my default choice when I couldn’t find a deal on the bigger brands. Now it may become my go to choice. Hey, not to whip a dead horse, but have you looked into ECCO EXOSTRIKE? They control the production line from yak to finish and they bond there leather to a kind of Kevlar. Would love to see one broken down, but watch out for your bandsaw. Thanks Weston.
Get a high quality wallet, belt or MORE in the Rose Anvil shop here - bit.ly/44jXLNu
What is your take on the black 550 with the gum sole? Is it different or the same, just black?
Actually there is a reason for the cut out in the cupsole, it allows the cushion to expand which is important in performance basketball shoes for impact protection, not having a cut like that is part of what has made the Jordan 1 unwearble for play compared to other releases from the 80s
In the 80s the Jordan 1 had a better insole than now to compensate, the cut out in the cupsole beyond cushion benefits, is just a weak point
It also allows the cup-sole to flex more at the ball of the foot! Otherwise the side walls will buckle and wave and create hotspots when you flex your foot and stretch the midsole/outsole
Sneaker knowledge. I love it. Cobra Kai
If that was true the cup sole would be cut on both sides. It's just to try to appear different from all the others
That’s why I love wearing my adidas forums even though a lot of sneakerheads don’t know about them
I've been a shoe salesman for the past 17 years, at chain establishments. Your videos are both a fantastic product knowledge resource (things like docs vs tims, or the white mountains vs birks) and just really satisfying from a morbid, shoe destruction standpoint. loved the monarch video.
A small sacrifice for the greater good.
Bro u look 17
@@xGuiZ snapback ass talkin bout someone else looking young and dumb, that's funny.
@@xGuiZ you look 35 going on 15
@@xGuiZ very old pic
I used to manage an athletic shoe store near Lawrence, Mass. where New Balance had a factory. Every once in a while some NB guys would come into my store and buy 5-6 competitors' shoes to do exactly what you are doing here - cutting them up to see how they are made. Nice to finally see what they were doing back then.
The white/green general release 550s have been my daily beaters since last summer and they're holding up amazingly well. There's barely any outsole wear at all. I treat them terribly. I laced them on the first day and ever since then I just shove my feet in like an animal. Confirmed tanks.
They really are I got the burgundy/teal and I love them look brand new , idk what they did to make these not crease
The loss of shoe patterns is a damn good argument for companies to create corporate archives so those types of records are identified, preserved, and made accessible to company researchers. Archives and their archivists present capital value but oft goes unnoticed.
It's true. Nobody makes movies about archivists.
They were hiring for one in May 2022.
@@buckodonnghaile4309 I suspect they’re finally acknowledging that their history deserves to be preserved internally.
Since they had to recreate it without the original plans, does that make it a rep of their own show?
The sneaker community is in debt to you! Really appreciate your service to society by chopping sneakers in half! ❤
props on having timestamps and mentioned videos in description.. your hard work doesn't go unnoticed,
Now that you've done the Nike Dunks, the New Balance 550's, I would personally love to watch a video on the Adidas Forum 84 low! Since these are sort of competitors. I would love to see the quality of the Forum 84s and see how it stands against the other two.
yeah, I agree. Adidas Forum have the same thickness in the midsole. I'd like to watch a video about that as well
tbh i think the forum 84 low has better quality than the 550s and dunks
I have one pair of this shoes,. first month of wearing it, it's like standing on top of a stone. now I know, it's because the fiberboard. but after wearing it like 2-3 months, it's starting to feel like comfy, very very comfy. thanks, Rose! I love this video. keep it up
Love how you talked about the history and gave credit to Teddy for bring this shoe back from the dead
I am so glad I found this channel (2 years ago!)-- I came for the boots and leather talk, now he covers so much more. So amazingly informative.
Same, I only own one pair of sneakers for the gym and I still like the sneaker videos!
I have little interest in sneaker culture but YOU make it interesting and I love every second of your content. I love your boot teardowns since I do work in heavy industry and love knowing what's in who's boot, shoe, sneaker and so on. Keep up the awesome content. "Redback gang"
Love the take on the leather quality! Though the special project/collab pairs are distinctly different in hand feel. The ALD, Rich Paul, Auralee, etc. 550’s have a noticeably thicker leather and they don’t have that plastic finish these GR joints have. Hoping to see your take on those in comparison!
I was thinking this! I have the ALD green pair as well as a GR pair of Oreo 550s and there are differences I can feel in the leather. I’m hoping they are brave enough to cut up a collab pair and see how the leather holds up
I agree, although I can only confirm this with the ALD 550, this Collab does seem to have a thicker leather, also seems softer. Hoping they can do the same with one of the collabs
from what I understand 550’s with the BB designation (i.e BB550PB1) also use noticeable thicker leather as well
Me when boots have a fiberboard insole: wow what a rip off trash
Me when sneakers have fiberboard insole: wow such great quality
For some reason, I really enjoy when you scrap the plastic from the shoe during the flame test. Would be awesome if you did it for the whole shoe.
What you're doing is helping to put 'quality' back into shoes. Thank you!
Slice a pair of Forums next! Would be cool to see the literal comparison between these three giants and how they stack up. dunk/j1 vs 550 vs Forum low/84 high.
Very similar to the Rivalry Row from Adidas: three quarters sole stitching, foam, stiffness, and they are both 80s bball shoes with less technology than their competitors.
Great video! Really appreciated the history of the model.
I've heard some people say that the Aimee Dore collab has a better leather quality, but I don't know
I would like to see a cut in half of the adidas forum 84 (low). It's said that they have a good quality leather. Like your content!
Maybe step it up to the ADV 🤔
Would really love to see how the leather on the ALD version compares!
I just checked some of the newer 550’s in the London flagship store and looks like they have significantly altered the leather. It’s much more soft to the touch and doesn’t seem all that plasticky anymore.
they definitely have. I think after releasing the ALD collab they realized they needed to step up the quality of materials on their GR pairs. I just bought a GR pair on sale earlier today and the leather quality is alot nicer on my pair compared to the ones he cut apart.
Please cut open a pair of the new Jordan 1 Highs in the ‘85 cut! The construction is a bit different than other recent Jordan 1s (I could be wrong, but I think I’ve heard that they are even board lasted, at least the Georgetowns) to be more true to the originals from ‘85, and I’d love to get your take on them. Either way, I love the channel! Keep up the good work!
Had a pair of these. Love the look, but they were so uncomfortable I had to sell them. Thank you for doing this video.
The reason I keep coming back to your videos. Your knowledge and passion for shoes.
Theoretically you can resole most sneakers, most people just don’t do it because it’s harder to get the sole you need unless you buy fake soles for that shoe, which probably isn’t a bad idea just for a sole, probably some other small reasons too
Glad to see the perforations don’t let air through, as it also means water can’t get in
I would love a comparison to the ALD 550’s, since those (look and feel wise) have a decent leather.
Great video. Crazy how even though the leather is bad, the overall construction of the sneaker is pretty top-tier. As others mentioned, would love to see you deconstruct an ALD 550. It's a collab and apparently is made with better materials, so would be cool to see if that is true or not
That's my one question too. I'm pretty sure that in ALD collab is more great material than this
The guy went ahead and cut up the cheapest 550 gr lol and generalized it to be alll 550 apparently 😅a lot of 550 colorways and different version comes with all sorts of materials.
@@joconderoma1453 Ya, I heard the new balance BB550 are made with better leather.
@@joconderoma1453 100%. I just got home from Footlocker where I picked up a GR pair on sale for $82 and the leather on them is really nice with no polyurethane coating and the suede is really nice quality too.
What I don't understand is why sweatshop sneakers always cover up real leather with plastic coatings, then imprint a pattern to make it look like leather which they just covered up.
because they are buying cheap splits and then coating them. The splits are basically throwaway layers that have no real strength or any top grain to them. They can buy that and coat it way cheaper than using full grain leather.
The inside of a shoe is called the Medial side. The outside is called the Lateral side.
The cupsole cut out is very similar to the Reebok Club C, and I've always liked the feeling as it lets my arch do what it wants.
Adi Superstars, Air force's and the like feel horrid underfoot because I end up having the outsole digging into my arch.
love the look of these shoes, I've always been obsessed with that 90's look in shoes which is why I love the AirMax1's, 90's, and 93's, AF1's , and of course the Reebok Classics I guess i was never familiar with these shoes back in my time but had i known about them i would've easily bought these, they look so good and definitely going to buy a pair once i can find one at a decent price
I had cracks on my 550s sides after one week. And now after a litte more than a year, I even have an open crack/hole on top of my rigth toebox. Now I understand why!
Cut open some Merrell Moabs please. Big with postal workers, hikers and military.
ur killing it lately. i reckon ive seen you gain half a mil subscribers in the last year? You've totally changed what i look at when i go shoe shopping
The 550 is the same silhouette as the OG Adidas Forum low, continental 80 and the Reebok Workouts.
The all black reebok workouts were one of the most popular shoes here in the UK in 90s especially amongst school kids as we could stealth rock them instead of shoes (which are part of a mandatory school uniform in most schools). Weird how they get no love now at all especially considering how that retro silhouette is all the rage now.
are there more shoes with the same silhouette? wow i did not know about the reebok workouts
Still have em, reebok workout are my fav
@@crunkxxx A lot of basketball trainers in the 80s shared this silhouette
love my continental 80s
We used to wear workouts for uniforms in Kentucky too. Workouts definitely had a moment for more trendy people on the coasts a few years ago. Yeezy even had a knockoff. In the US though Reebok is not nearly as esteemed as Nike, Adidas, or New Balance anymore.
I don’t know why I like these videos so much. But I do. Keep up the great content.
There is always something good with New Balances. Comfort or durability. I love mid-range New Balances for their decent looks.
I go to a physiotherapy gym a couple of times a month for us old/and or disabled people and the NB's are very popular with a lot of the older folks who have either ankle, foot, shin or knee issues. Its not so much that they're ripping up and down a basketball court or anything frisky like that, but they are a very comfortable shoe that gives them a lot more support and impact protection than most of the Nike or Reebok types of sneakers out there.
Outside of the better Asics or Addidas range of running shoes which can be a bit pricier, the New Balance's are a pretty solid choice and for some uses like the gym where they're mostly worn inside the leather being plastic coated isn't so much of an issue.
Clicked the video expecting it was a clickbait or something, and I wasn’t even interested in the NB 550 but this channel is both interesting and relevant! Thanks for THIS content!
Really wondering if there’s a difference between the general release and the ALD releases now
Same, i want to know if there is a big difference in leather quality or not really.
@@swiggyswiggy4851 I think there’s a big difference (look and feel wise). Feels like much better quality
Just saw this particular pair, color is currently flying out the door, selling out online all because Taylor Swift was wearing this exact pair at the Chiefs game this past Sunday. 🤷🏻♂I'm not an NB expert, surely not a material expert...and don't own a 550 NB. I do find my old 992 (didn't pay retail, this was an unworn thrift store find!) and recent 9060 ($150 retail) extremely comfortable! Suede material feels ok I guess...but right now comfort is key...that's all I care about. lol. This channel is fascinating....thanks so much!
love the videos but I do have one suggestion. i've seen the smoke test being done which is a good addition to the tests, but my gripe with it is that smoke always follows the path of least resistance. since the tongue is left "open" it will almost always escape through there regardless of how well ventilated the shoe is, maybe if you were to add some more tape to the sides of the tongue it might be more telling of how much airflow can come through those perforations.
Agreed. Your foot should partially block the tongue, so the vents might actually work in practice.
But it also means IN PRACTICE you're also not going to get any ventilation from those holes... unless you tape up the tongue which you are not doing.
@@madtonesbr Um, your foot should occasionally create a partial seal or even full seal as you walk around. It should also help with heat transfer, but that's a side issue.
One of the easiest instant subscriptions ever. Very informative video. Thanks!
I like these shoes a lot too, just a cool looking retro. I think the ald versions may be better quality and I'd love to see like a made in USA 550 with pig suede etc but it's also nice to get a rad NB sneaker that isn't like $250CA+,
There will be a made in UK 550 X ALD that will release eventually. Search it up
Aren’t these shoes literally $250CA, I can never find them for msrp
That sounds promising, and makes a lot of sense now that ald has opened a boutique over there..hmu w a link if you get a chance. Ty
Yea that's definitely true.I've actually hit on a couple pairs at retail surprisingly on nb site.
I really like the way you chose to come in from the side to add information! That was so refreshing!
Thanks for this video. I have the ALD 550s and everything you said about the inside of the shoe makes sense after wearing them for a bit. Being able to resole these is CRAZY!!!
But, does New Balance offer a restoration service?
Does your local cobbler carry or able to order the soles for these shoes?
@@60zeller tbh, those are two questions I don't have answers to, nor are they really concerns to me, not enough to inquire, anyways. i didn't say i would be resoling my ALD 550s; just intrigued by the idea.
I would be curious if some of the more expensive collab pairs would have better quality leather like aime leon dore and joe fresh goods
I've got a pair of the ALD 650s as well as a regular release 550s. I definitely feel the leather quality is different between the two with the ALD ones feeling alot less plasticky. Would be interested to know if the leather used is actually different
sure ALD use Full grain leather
@@samujo88 lol no they don't, especially not at retail price. If they don't tell you they're using full grain leather they aren't. They're an equally cheap made in china pair. The ALD Made in England pairs cost like 2x as much
@@madtonesbr ALD said on website Full grain leather and I have GR and ALD550 pairs is so different and retail price $110 for GR and $130 for ALD
Don't forget these cost $15 a pop to manufacture like aj1s, dunks and the like
im curious if this shoe is the same quality as the ALD collab
Same
I can almost guarantee the ALD ones are a lot nicer. I’ve only owned the GR ones but the way I see the ALDs crease from people online vs mine is super different. Couldn’t say if the actual leather is nicer but it’s definitely a lot softer coating on top.
Why do I enjoy watching these so much?
I disagree w the 8.6 cut-center. That was a high 6 on a good day 😀
could you please do reebok club c 85?
i was intrigued by the hype of 80s court sneakers. people said the shoes are comfortable and comparable to air forces, nb 550, adidas forum & rivalry, and even dunks in silhouette and price range wise
I think the dadwave trend really made these come back to life in a big way. Steven Smith had an absolutely gem of a design with these, and as us shoe historians know...he's right up there in conversation alongside notables like Tinker Hatfield. With this design, I think it makes sense for NB to go to the same typical sneaker factory that Adidas/Nike use, but to use these as marketing tools/cash stimulus for the MIA/MIE designs is a great decision on NB's part!
Its crazy this current gen becomes their dads/geandads…our grandkids will revive these trends and also call them “dad shoes”
This is a well orchestrated video, bro! Definitely got a new subscriber!
I have the ALD version and the leather feels a lot softer in hand. Just overall better quality/build.
is the ald better quality than the normal one? i was thinking about buying the ald since this video basically killed off any desire i had for the normal one
@@SpirithunterBOMB the ALD 550s & the Rich Paul 550s both have better feeling leathers. The quality of the ALDs is likely much more premium, whereas the Rich Paul’s have that tumbled feel that makes them much softer. Personally I prefer the tumbled leather feel over the stiffer ones, but it’s all up to preference.
@@SpirithunterBOMB yea everything about the ALD is better. Even the N logo. The general version feels like cheap plasticy leather.
Have you thought about cutting up an Adidas Forum '84 and a Jordan 1 High '85?
If I remember correctly, the ALD 550’s should have a top grain leather. I think I read it in their item description. Maybe it would be fun to compare the ALD collaborations against the similar looking general release pairs. I assume there’d only be a difference in the leather quality and some style changes, but who knows
I mean I have a gr and ald just by touch and feel when it’s on foot you can already differentiate the quality
I bought both ald and standard 650’s and can confirm leather quality is much higher and so is the overall construction.
Would love to see you cut up a pair of Vessi "shoes". I find many of their claims hard to believe (not the waterproofness, more around the construction and materials)
Also, having tried a pair on, I personally find them odd to wear as a shoe.. They feel more like a slipper, no grip(inside, foot slips around in the shoe), my feet did sweat and they feel like they have a rubber or similar layer under the cloth.
On the plus side, they are quick and easy to slip on, comfortable (as long as not too active) and they are super lightweight.
I loved the cut ins you did to correct yourself, props.
I looked this video up literally yesterday and expected u to have it up. Now u do
Interesting how different they are to the New balance 550 Aime Leon Dore collaboration as they have much more premium materials
This!
nah, they don't
I've been wearing them for over a month now and they still hurt so much. I rotate wearing boosts, dunks and the 550s because my feet need a break from how stiff they are.
I wear a ton of Jordan 1s and just got my first pair of 550s today and so far so good, they're more comfy than Jordan 1s lol.
Considering what sneakers cost nowadays (especially Nike retros), I don't see $110 for the 550s as a "cash grab". I owned a pair of white/blue 550s back in the day when they originally came out. I own 2 pairs of the retro, and I think they're comfortable and I'm completely satisfied with my purchase.
Point is they have very cheap, plastic coated leather on them. So it’s a huge downgrade from the high quality sneakers NB is known for making.
@@saberterminal871 How much do the NB shoes you're referencing (of high quality) cost? $110?
The "inside" of your foot is the medial side and the "outside" of your foot is the lateral side
NB should release a 550 made in USA for more money cause Id buy it!
I am impressed on how u didn't wear any Kevlar gloves while slicing the shoes
The inside of the store is called the MEDIAL side
And the outer side is called the lateral side
The last time I bought a sneaker I wanted New Balance made in America. They didn't have my color or correct size so I bought Brooks. Nice sneaker but the left one developed a squeak when walking. I would love you to cut open a new 990v5 and a 993 from NB. And here your thoughts. Great channel.
Such a sick silhouette. Also love the 650r. It’s too bad about the leather but I still really want a pair
With the leather wrapping around the lasting board, could these shoes be resoled on a wider sole (2E)? Is so, and recommendations on where some would source a wider cup sole?
Been watching your show for ages, glad to see you are getting the hype you deserve! 😊 a pair of shoes that have come into my radar lately that look to be great contenders to the Air Force 1 are the Puma Slipstream’s. They look pretty legit with a nice price tag, would love yo see those cut up! 😊 keep doing what you do!
The "inside" of the shoe is called the medial side of the shoe. The other side is called the lateral side.
I bought a GR version of this shoe , didn't like how the leather was and returned them . But I heard a ton of praise for the ALD version . I would love a dissection comparison to the ALD 550 vs the GR .550 . A 20$ difference really bring the shoe to another level ?
Dude, the obvious follow up video to this is resolving that damn sneaker!! I’d watch the shot out of that!
New Balance are not only the only sneaker I buy, I am NOT a sneaker head by any measure, but the only shoe I buy where I really don't care about the leather. I have super flat feet and pronate badly so the USA made 1540s are my goto. Never had any foot issues since I switched to the NBs that are specifically engineered for feet like mine. Cost a bit more than the $100 550s but worth it to not have shin splints and knee issues after running. I think in some applications the best material for the job may be an engineered material and NB seems to use several different materials in their upper end shoes to accomplish specific task such as pronation control and foot stability.
You should do the New Balance 1300 JP 2020 next. They're $300 retail, and supposedly have great leather quality.
is it possible for you to compare leather seats of different car brands , it would be interesting
I bought a bunch of 550s recently, would not recommend for people with wide feet whatsoever. Great video as always, thank you for exposing these multi million dollar cooperations!
NB sells various widths in most of the styles. Is that not true for the 550?
Are they only sold in one width or are there multiple widths that they sell it in
@@jorgevillegas1178 it’s very annoying. When you buy them from their website they do offer a wide version but you can never select it. Just always defaults to standard. So my guess is they only come in standard width
@@kcgunesq I believe not
@@abir420 the most oppressed people on earth, wide feet people are tired of being marginalized all the time by big narrow feet manufacturers😤
i would be interested in how these 'regular' 550s compare to the aime leon deor versions
I have a pair of these: compared to AF1s or Dunks I found them much more sturdy and well constructed, this did a good job explaining why that is.
They’re a nice shoe and a good everyday casual shoe that lasts long..even tho the leather kinda sucks
Lateral and medial sides of a shoe? (As opposed to inside and outside..) I think those are the terms.
I always found that NewBalance shoes don’t hold up. I destroyed the insides with 2 months and they wound become painful.
I wear my dads old Air Force ones from 1993 like once a week and replaced the outsoles only 1 time since new.
I've never had nikes last more than a few months. The USA NB's last me years.
I would love to see you cut open the NB 327, preferably one from the primary pack that has perforated leather on the outside and medial of the shoe, with a suede heel and toe
Would be interesting to see your review of the ALD 550s vs the GR 550s in this video. I own a pair of each, and in my completely novice opinion, the leather on the ALD 550s looks/feels higher quality. It even seems to crease less than the GR 550s, I'm guessing it has less of a plastic coating.
Loved the you cutting the transmission to point out your mistake. Good job, it added a bit fun/comedy to the video.
I really like the 550s. The ALD versions do have much better leather.
I've actually worn my 550s a lot for about a year. Despite the bad leather, these are built like tanks and hold up better than any other lower end rebook, Adidas, or Nike. The fabric in them is high quality, so no rips around the ankle yet. I have a pair of alds now too, the leather is nicer, but no plastic coating also means more scuffs
Yeah I've got two colors of ALD and the black GR's and they are definitely different quality. I actually work in the black ones 😆
Interesting point on the tongue, I recently got a pair of 57/40 and although they seem good quality, the tongue got detached when I was putting them on, and the other one has become loose. I have a pair of 827 as the go to
this sneakers was made incredibly strong and to last. leather may not be the best but neither is Nike prices 😅
I don't know about anyone else, but the reason I buy NB sneakers, is because I can get them in the width I need, 4e. It's hard to find anything near that with in most brands.
I really want these they better be good .
Idk bucko
I have two pairs, one I've worn for months and the other I just got. After wearing them for a while, they become very comfy. I'd definitely recommend!
Now you have to check the ALD version to see if/how much they improve on leather quality
Loving how often these videos drop
this is strange. I literally just got home from Footlocker. I picked up a pair of 550s on sale for $82 and the ones I got have nice soft leather without a thick polyurethane coating and the toebox mudguard on my pair is a really nice soft suede. This pair isn't a collab either like ALD, it is just a normal GR pair. Obviously, NB must use different quality materials on different colorways. So, the pair reviewed here doesn't seem indicative of the quality of materials on all 550s.
Curious to see what’s inside Salomon’s : xt6, xt4, wings 2.
Tons of shoes you can do in the hiking technical realm.
Nike ACG stuff also.
Nike’s carbon fiber plate stuff too.
I’d love to see you cut in half some Hoffman 16” Pole Climbers, or some Italian hiking boots such as Crispi’s, Kenetrek’s, etc. Love your videos, keep up the great work.👍🏻
Color me impressed (80’s humor). New balance has always been my default choice when I couldn’t find a deal on the bigger brands. Now it may become my go to choice. Hey, not to whip a dead horse, but have you looked into ECCO EXOSTRIKE? They control the production line from yak to finish and they bond there leather to a kind of Kevlar. Would love to see one broken down, but watch out for your bandsaw. Thanks Weston.
Many have said it but we need a comparison between these and the ALD versions
Who knew cutting shoes in half could be so entertaining... I've been subscribed for over a year... maybe two...
When describing "inside" of the shoe, it might be better to use the anatomical terms like medial and lateral.