A Closer Look at The New Balance 550 “Sea Salt”

New Balance’s 550 sneaker is a lifestyle model created by a collaboration between the New Balance Brand and Steven Smith, dubbed the Godfather of dad shoes. He’s a legendary sneaker architect. Mr. Smith gets credit for the development of the style.

Sneaker News explains that the predecessor of the New Balance 550 was the P550 Basketball Oxford in a low top made of perforated leather uppers with a smooth finish and plenty of meth interior lining for breathability. It has a rich history that goes back to the 1989 model, but the current frenzy for vintage apparel and footwear started a trend in recreating old styles with modern twists.

The New Balance 550 is a reissue with Japanese versions on the Asian market in 2020, with new releases in 2021 and the upcoming new model in the US in 2022.

The New Balance 550 is making a scene in New York City

Excitement over the New Balance 550 sneakers didn’t reach an acceptable state during the late 1980s when it made its debut. The public had more interest in the technical basketball sneakers with their advanced technologies and materials for the era. The reissue of the style caught on in the early 2020s when it reappeared.

The 550 is one of the more popular models of the brand, but it’s modernized from its predecessor. Its appearance on the New York streetwear scene received a warm welcome. The New Balance 550 dropped in 2021 for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $110, with special editions offered at a $20 higher cost. To fully understand the excitement, we must take a closer look at the features that are beloved by sneakerheads.

A closer look at the New Balance 550 Sea Salt

The New Balance 550 Sea Salt, featuring its retro styling, is a basketball shoe that features genuine leather uppers, according to Flight Club. The Sea Salt colorway comes with white uppers with a sturdy construction featuring tonal overlaying of suede at the forefoot for additional support and reinforcement of potentially weak stress areas.

The sneakers offer a comfortable fit with flexible materials. The longer the sneakers are worn, the more comfortable they become after the leather begins to wear. The shoes tend to run narrow so a half size up from the normal size is recommended. Micro perforation at the midfoot allows for exceptional ventilation and airflow at the mid-section of the shoe to allow air to circulate through the sneakers and over the feet.

It helps to prevent overheating and sweating for a dryer and cooler fit. The branding script is black which adds contrast to the white components with the N logo on the sidewall. The comfort of the New Balance 550 Sea Salt is enhanced with its EVA wedge in its rubber cup sole without taking it over the top. The outsole is made of black rubber to add exceptional traction. It serves the dual purpose of helping to prevent accidental slips and falls and providing extra grip ability on the court for making fast stops and pivots.

The popularity of the New Balance 550 Sea Salt

The New Balance Sea Salt is one of the most popular models in the collection. Since its re-release, The sneakers have flown off the shelf within a few days of their release. Resellers were quick to snap up as many pairs as possible, in a savvy move to flip their purchases and make a profit by raising the prices.

The after-market platforms including Stadium Goods, eBay, and other venues offer the sneakers after the traditional retailers’ stocks are depleted. The retail price from New Balance vendors started at $100 per pair. the most recent release date was April 7, 2022, with the average cost for bidders at $158.

New Balance added to the Sea Salt and the Sea Salt Black colorways in the latter part of June with a new 550 in Mint Green and white, a Miami Nights Colorway, and a multi-color version.

Which New Balance 550 sneakers are the best?

All About Anthony reviewed the current releases of the New Balance 550 sneakers and it’s worth pointing out that not all of them are made of the same materials. You can expect any pair to provide decent quality, but some colorways are made of different material compositions with solid construction.

Most of the materials used are of average quality, but some of the collaborations on limited editions feature upgraded materials. You can expect to pay more for the limited edition colorways, and if you’re not among the first in line to make your purchase, the price will go up through the resellers.

Final thoughts

The New Balance 550 Sea Salt is a white sneaker that also comes in a white and black version that adds an attractive splashing of contrasting black colors. It’s a more sophisticated colorway that has neutral coloring that matches most outfits.

The dual-purpose sneaker provides ample foot control thanks to its grippy rubber outer sole, and the traction pattern that makes it a good court shoe, if low tops are your preference. It’s an exceptional everyday sneaker that is comfortable enough for all-day wear. It complements street clothing styles and activewear styles.

The Sea Salt colorway is another popular version of the New balance 550 that started to sell out as soon as it became available. The colorway dropped on May 24, 2022. It is currently in stock at most of the popular online resellers such as StockX, Goat, and a few other resellers. Multiple versions of the Sea Salt are dropping, along with other unique colorways.

It’s wise to keep your ear to the ground for news of the New Balance 550 new colorways coming out as the brand has figured out that they’re going to sell out nearly as soon as they drop.

(Photo above is of the Varsity Gold)

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