It’s fascinating to observe New Balance’s shift towards Nike’s strategy of mass-producing diverse colorways for their popular models. This trend is evident with the NB 550. Less than two years ago, this silhouette was flying off the shelves and fetching a decent premium in the resale market. Now, most of its colorways are being discounted by as much as 25% to 30% below their original price.
To maintain the model’s relevance, I suspect New Balance is leveraging collaborations, which explains the forthcoming thisisneverthat New Balance 550. This collaboration was conceived from a partnership between New Balance and the edgy South Korean streetwear label, thisisneverthat.
The shoe features a robust canvas material in a versatile dark brown shade, accentuated by cracked black leather forming the distinctive “N” logo. The branding of thisisneverthat is incorporated into the tongue label and heel, seamlessly blending with the shoe’s overall design. In addition, the two-tone aesthetic is completed with black elements extending to the laces, inner lining, and rubber sole. For purchase purposes, see details below
Where To Buy The thisisneverthat x New Balance 550
Style Code: BB550TN
Release Date: September 7, 2023
Price: $130
Retailer(s)
Resale Value: thisisneverthat x New Balance 550
The chart above gives us a breakdown of the average sale price of the shoe by size as well as the current returns associated with each via the secondary markets. As you can see , 50% of the sales led to losses, that is sizes 10.5,11.5,7.5 and 9. 25% led to earnings under $10, sizes 6 and 9.5 while the remaining 25% generated profit margins of $28 and $31, that is size 10 and 12 respectively. So what can I conclude about this shoe? Is it worth pursuing for resale purposes?
Based on the records, the only sizes worth targeting are the 10’s and the 12’s but I would even be even careful with those; I suspect that the current prices will most likely drop when the shoe releases officially, leaving you with mark ups under 15%. So my conclusion is- leave the shoe alone, I wouldn’t recommend investing in it at this point, it is just too risky of an investment.
