Stone Island and New Balance launch football-inspired SUMMER_'026 capsule

Stone Island and New Balance did not just toss a logo onto a sneaker and call it a football story. SUMMER_'026 arrived as a proper system: footwear, apparel, accessories, kit, and equipment built for on- and off-pitch wear, with 1990s soccer culture as the reference point and material research doing the heavy lifting. That is the smart move here. The collaboration feels less like souvenir merch and more like a technical wardrobe with a clear point of view.

The anchor is the ABZORB 1890, which launches June 4 in two colorways. It carries the original 2002 sole unit, a move that gives the shoe real archive weight instead of fake nostalgia, and the high-frequency welded reflective teardrop at the toe adds the kind of sharp, engineered hit Stone Island does best. This is the detail that matters: the shoe is built to look like it belongs in motion, not sitting under gallery lighting.

The Nylon Prismatico-TC Hooded Jacket pushes the same idea into outerwear, where Stone Island’s fabric obsession meets New Balance’s performance language without either brand flattening the other. The collection’s football framing makes sense because the pieces read like kit adapted for street use, not streetwear pretending to be kit. That is a better lane for both labels, especially now, when so many collabs lean on hype and skip the function.

Access is part of the strategy too. Stone Island said the sneaker release requires a registered account, with the invitation appearing in the My Account area after login or account creation. The collection will be sold on the Stone Island website, in selected stores, and through selected retail partners, keeping the drop controlled rather than blasted everywhere at once. Endrick and Bukayo Saka front the campaign, photographed by Bolade Banjo, which gives the project the right mix of young star power and clean visual credibility.

Timed into the run-up to the 2026 World Cup, SUMMER_'026 feels like a preview of how football style is being sold now: less replica jersey, more technical uniform. Stone Island and New Balance know the value of a good product architecture, and this one has enough texture, history, and practical intent to outlast the usual collab cycle.