New Balance Numeric dropped a ton of heat in 2024, but in my opinion, the 480 took center stage with some seriously solid colorways and collabs. Originally a shoe for hoopers, both the low and high-version have fully cemented themselves in skateboarding, and anyone who has skated a pair knows they offer the perfect blend of durability, board feel, and comfort.
With an already stacked lineup of drops and colorways this year from the Numeric camp, I decided to take a trip back to 2024 and break down eight of my favorite NM480 bangers from last year. From shop collabs to your favorite brands and some absolute legends, they dropped some gems. Let’s get into it.
1. The 480 Remixed by 8FIVE2 Skateshop
I've always loved when shoe brands join forces with rad skate shops on collabs like this. The powers that be at New Balance Numeric are certainly no strangers to these link ups, and their 480 remixed by 8FIVE2 Skate Shop in Hong Kong was a great example of how powerful these partnerships can be. This colorway is too sick!
2. The 480 Remixed by Premier Skateshop
Premier skate shop from Grand Rapids, Michigan and New Balance Numeric came together on a special 480 collab shoe last year with a pretty cool story behind it. Honestly, this one is better for them to explain. Take a look:
"As the last frosts retreat and the spring undergrowth pushes through, a rare and sought-after delicacy reveals itself. Camouflaged in the leaves and ground cover, the morel mushroom is a wild forager’s secret, only appearing for a short time in its natural environment and commonly near where it sprouted the season before," Premier mentioned. "Like the morels, when the snow ahead melts away, we return to our familiar weathered Michigan skate spots, this time with a collaborative New Balance Numeric 480 laced up."
3. The 480 Remixed by Chocolate Skateboards
The devil was really in the details with the 480 x Chocolate Skateboards collab shoes. The subtle Chocolate branding on the tongue, the classic character we remember from Gino and Keenan's part in Mouse on the bottom of the shoe, a nice big red "C" on the heel, and much more. And the classic Chocolate "flags" around the heel of the hightop? Yeah, they went all in on these.
4. The 480 Remixed by Andrew Reynolds
We all know Andrew Reynolds "put the capital B in The Boss!" and those words were never truer when The Boss put his personal touch on the classic New Balance Numeric 480 silhouette last year. I remember this news nearly breaking the internet! Spend a few seconds scrolling through the comments on the post below and it's clear that he nailed it on this colorway. People were pumped!
His actual, highly-anticipated signature Numeric model can't come soon enough.
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5. The 480 Remixed by 303 Boards
New Balance Numeric’s 480 got a fresh remix through the artistic lens of Jeremy Fish in collaboration with 303 Boards on these ones. Jeremy is known for his illustrations and brought a unique touch to the 480, blending skateboarding with some bold, detailed artwork. These were super limited and the whole 303 Boards scene came together for this drop. The colorway speaks for itself. These were bangers!
6. The 480 Remixed by Natas Kaupas
When New Balance teamed up with Natas Kaupas, it was as random as it was exciting, if you ask me. But having this skate icon add a touch of his personal flair to their iconic 480 High silhouette was super rad nonetheless. The colorway was a straight up blast from the past, that's for sure, but the nostalgia was real.
Hey, Natas is and always has been a true original. What else would you expect?
7. The 480 Featured in Tiago Lemos Collection
World's collided when Tiago Lemos and his New Balance teammate (and two-time NBA champion) Kawhi Leonard joined forces on a shoe collection featuring a NM480, NM1010, and a slightly modified version of the Kawhi 4.
"After decades of skateboarding interpreting and reimagining basketball silhouettes, for the first time ever basketball is turning towards skateboarding for inspiration," New Balance mentioned. "The KL4 x Tiago Lemos Collection represents the symbiotic relationship between basketball and skateboarding’s deep cultures, while celebrating the stories of two icons that share a mutual respect for the street and court."
These ones flew off the shelves, but it is Tiago we're talking about. Enough said.
And there you have it. Did you cop any of these? Either way, we're stoked and ready for all the heat NB# has in store for us this year. More shop collabs! More Natas-esque collabs! We want it all. And by the looks of it—so far, so good.
