Why This Ultra-Rare New Balance Sneaker Only Drops Once Every Five Years

Shinichi Kubota, vice-president of New Balance Japan, tells GQ that the idea of reissuing a performance sneaker didn’t really exist in the ’80s and early ’90s. But a few years after the 1300’s initial drop, New Balance developed a lifestyle branch and began to consider bringing back older silhouettes. “Back then, we didn’t think to bring back any Made in USA models,” he says, “But after the lifestyle business was established globally…this is when we saw the opportunity to…