JJJJound Gives New Balance 1890 a Tuxedo-Inspired Black-and-White Makeover
JJJJound turns New Balance’s ABZORB 1890 into a black-and-white runner that looks tailored enough for a tuxedo, with no firm drop date yet.
Black mesh, crisp white tongues and satin-like taping give JJJJound’s New Balance 1890 the sharp, dressed-up polish of eveningwear, while the ABZORB midsole keeps it squarely in runner territory. It is the kind of sneaker that looks as if it could slip under a trouser hem and still hold its own in a room built for tailoring.
The pair arrives as an SS26 release with no firm drop date yet, but the styling already says plenty. JJJJound has leaned into restraint, and on the 1890 that restraint reads less like minimalism for its own sake than a deliberate edit. The black-and-white palette strips the silhouette to its bones, turning New Balance’s new performance-rooted lifestyle model into something closer to a tuxedo jacket rendered in mesh, foam and glossy trim.
That makes the 1890 an especially telling canvas. New Balance introduced the ABZORB 1890 on February 18, 2026 as its latest lifestyle model, rooted in archival designs but updated with visible-tech cues. The shoe uses the original 2002 sole unit with full-length SBS ABZORB cushioning, while the upper brings in a no-sew wave cutout pattern over exposed mesh that nods to the 890v3. In other words, this is not a retro reissue pretending to be new. It is a modern runner built to look familiar, then pushed forward just enough to feel current.
The launch calendar shows how quickly New Balance has built momentum around the silhouette. The base 1890 appeared as an in-stock launch on April 14, 2026, and the ABZORB 1890 Grey Days colorway is set for May 22, 2026 at $179.99. Before JJJJound’s take entered the picture, Action Bronson and Joe Freshgoods had already given the model early visibility, positioning the 1890 as one of New Balance’s more active new platforms this year.
That is what makes this collaboration feel more like a direction than a stunt. JJJJound launched in 2006 as a digital mood board before evolving into a collaborative design studio built around purpose and longevity, and its New Balance history, from the 990v3 and 990v4 to the 993 and 2002R, has usually favored muted, earth-toned restraint. On the 1890, that vocabulary shifts into monochrome formality. The result points to where formal-looking runners are headed next: cleaner, sharper, less bulky, and increasingly comfortable living at the intersection of tailoring and streetwear.
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