New Balance x Shawn Yue MRL996 Special Edition: Classy Kicks
Hong Kong stars sure do love their streetwear. Shawn Yue is perhaps the most style-savvy out of the troika of Generation Y Honky stars that are Edison Chen, Nicolas Tse and himself, especially with his edition of New Balance’s MRL966.
The true blue colourway of this pair is every bit like the man himself; unpretentious, subtle, and antithetical to the loudness of your average Hong Kong streetwear aficionado (see: Edison Chen). It makes sense then that New Balance 996 was chosen by Shawn Yue, the series has always been known for its rejection of typical streetwear products – they are vintage-inspired, and could go anywhere from chic to casual street without sacrificing one for the other, just as Yue balances acting credibility with commerciality.
The REVLITE-equipped shoes are skinned in suede with a mesh upper much like its contemporaries, on the onset it might just look like your regular 996 in a different colourway. But upon closer inspection, the details and line works say otherwise. Like his restrained method to acting, he adapted the same approach to the shoe’s design by opting to retain the most of original elements and chose subtle design changes. This is a pair of kicks indebted to a history of craftsmanship and heritage, you don’t simply take it and defile it with brash colours and tacky embellishments, as Yue himself puts it, “just add a touch of imagination.”
New Balance x Shawn Yue MRL996 is available exclusively at Crossover Concept Store and retails at RM529. Check out what else is in store at www.facebook.com/crossoverjb.