Barefoot running shoes are designed to make you feel better connected to the ground beneath your feet, but could these trail running shoes help you get better connected to yourself?
District Vision, a company known as much for its mindfulness philosophy as its stylish eyewear and sportswear (it does, after all, call itself a “center for inner peace in California” on its austere website homepage, rather than “sports gear outlet”) has teamed up with New Balance for a new version of the Fresh Foam X More Trail that has a bit of an “at one with nature” theme going on.
Or as the company put it themselves, “New Balance and District Vision join forces to celebrate the journey to inner peace.”
Certainly District Vision founders founders Tom Daly & Max Vallot look very chilled and centered in their new shoes in the promo video…
“In this collaborative take on the Fresh Foam X More Trail, District Vision takes New Balance’s premier trail runner and applies symbolic earth tones to the engineered mesh upper,” is how District Vision describe the shoe. “Light and dark earth tones symbolize dirt and stone, provide a casual look, suitable both on and off the trail. An original, co-branded, woven tongue tag displays a scenic outdoors-inspired graphic while District Vision logos also appear on the insoles and the overlays at the heel counter.”
At least if they’re earth toned, that should mean it’ll take them longer to look dirty.
On a more techy note, haptic print overlays are utilized for the ‘N’ logo on each side, and used again at the toe tips, heel counters, and eyelets. The stacked Fresh Foam X dual-hardness midsole gives the shoe a super-stacked height, while the trail-ready Vibram outsole provides enhanced traction.
Talking to High Snobiety, Valot explains why District decided to enter into the collaboration with New Balance. “The shoes are simply a reflection of how our training has evolved since we moved to Southern California. With the Santa Monica Mountains in our backyard, a trail shoe only made sense.
"The Fresh Foam X More Trail finds its roots in the New Balance 974, a hiking silhouette from the ’90s celebrated for its durability in demanding outdoor environments. "Drawing inspiration from the iconic features of the 974, including refined metal accents and robust tubular laces, we incorporated these design elements into the modern construction of an advanced trail shoe."
So if you want help feeling zen while out on the trails, the New Balance x District Vision Fresh Foam X More Trail is available to pre-order at $180 in Bone and Brown colorways.
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