Written by Menswear Style in New Collections on the 5th June 2018

Paul Smith has partnered with New Balance to produce a limited-edition capsule collection of football boots, trainers and footballs to coincide with the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia. This unique collaboration brings together the celebrated British designer and the American footwear company to create a range of special products that fuse tradition and modernity, as New Balance’s advanced manufacturing techniques are paired with Paul Smith’s distinctive use of colour and stripes.

The star of the collaboration is the limited edition New Balance x Paul Smith MiUK-One Football Boot, which features an upper crafted from soft kangaroo leather with Paul Smith Signature Stripe accents on the insole, tongue and heel counter. The MiUK-One is the first New Balance football boot to be produced in the company’s Flimby factory in Cumbria, making it even more of a collector’s item. The MiUK-One boot is described by New Balance as a classic boot with a modern twist, which aligns neatly with Paul Smith’s famous 'classic with a twist' design philosophy.

As the ideal accompaniment to the football boots, the collaboration will also include New Balance x Paul Smith footballs featuring Signature Stripe designs. A traditional leather football comes in an all-over Signature Stripe print, while New Balance’s FIFA Quality Pro Destroy Football will also be available in an all-over stripe design. In addition, a New Balance x Paul Smith Furion Miniball serves as a playful emblem for the collection. Away from the football pitch, two new versions of the New Balance 576 Made in England trainer will also be available, with a black colourway for men and white for women. As with the football boots, the trainers will also feature Kangaroo leather uppers, which is a material that is normally reserved for accent details only. This iconic New Balance trainer is given a special twist with Paul Smith Signature Stripe accents on the heel counter, behind the New Balance “N” logo and inside the trainer on the insole.

“Collaborating with such an iconic fashion brand and working alongside the artisan designers at Paul Smith has been a pleasure. We’re proud to have manufactured athletic footwear in the UK for the past 35 years, and we remain one of the only global athletic brands to do so. Working with Paul and his team, a quintessentially British brand, has been a project we have really enjoyed and a great way to celebrate the anniversary of the 576 trainer and that big football tournament happening this summer.” - Kenny McCallum, General Manager at New Balance.

Ahead of the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia, New Balance and Paul Smith Collaborate to bring the MiUK-One football boot.