Ranking The New Balance 990 Series

The New Balance 990v7 is right around the corner, marking the next chapter in one of the most consequential sneaker lines ever made. Since its debut in 1982, the 990 has become the unofficial uniform of dads everywhere, a badge of honor that, yes, we mean as a compliment. But reducing the series to its middle-aged fanbase does a disservice to a line that has helped shape New Balance as we know it today. From performance innovations that continue to influence the brand’s broader lineup to the Baltimore sneaker culture that helped fuel its rise, the 990’s fingerprints are all over the modern footwear landscape.

What began as the first athletic shoe to retail for $100 has grown into one of New Balance’s most celebrated platforms, both in performance and in collaboration. Joe Freshgoods, Action Bronson, JJJJound, and an ever-growing roster of influential names have put their own spin on the series, turning heritage runners into a bona fide creative staples. The Made in USA pedigree only adds to the appeal, from its enduring core color palettes to the exceptionally plush suede that has become a hallmark of the series.

With the 990v7 releasing November 6th, now feels like the perfect time to take stock of the lineage that helped define New Balance’s place in sneaker culture. Here’s how every generation of the 990 stacks up.

7. New Balance 990v5 (2019)

The New Balance 990v5 loses points for playing things a little too safe. While it builds on the foundation of its more beloved immediate predecessors, it doesn’t necessarily improve on their visual appeal. Its most notable addition is the tonal TPU power strap, while the revised quarter panel trades the v4’s more intricate cutouts for a cleaner, less distinctive look. The collaboration catalog is similarly top-heavy. Despite arriving during a golden era for sneaker partnerships, the v5 is best remembered for standout projects with Aimé Leon Dore and Engineered Garments, with relatively few other releases that have left a lasting impression. All that being said, the comfort is still on point.

6. New Balance 990v2 (1998)

Arriving 16 years after the original 990, the v2 was bound to look the part of a new era. In the interim, New Balance had moved through the 995, 996, 997, 998, and 999 before returning to its flagship series with a silhouette that broke from the original’s proportions. Its stubby shape remains a point of division: a distinctive quality that some consider the model’s greatest asset and others its biggest drawback. Teddy Santis of Aimé Leon Dore and Ronnie Fieg of Kith helped bring the v2 back into the spotlight in the early 2020s, delivering collaborations and retailer exclusives that reintroduced the once-overlooked model to a new generation.

5. New Balance 990v6 (2022)

With its successor on the horizon, the 990v6 feels like one of the less culturally impactful entries in the franchise. Despite a concerted push through collaborations with names like Action Bronson and Joe Freshgoods, the silhouette never quite reached the fashion heights of its peers. It found a different kind of success with comfort-minded consumers, though, introducing FuelCell foam to the lineup and delivering a noticeable upgrade over the v5.

4. New Balance 990v1 (1982)

We couldn’t relegate the OG to the bottom half of the list. The original New Balance 990 from 1982 lands at number four, earning its place as the model that started it all. The shoe made history as the first athletic sneaker to retail for $100, or about $360 in today’s dollars when adjusted for inflation. The premium was justified in part by the shoe’s polyurethane Motion Control Device, a heel counter engineered to cradle the foot, limit excessive lateral movement, and maintain natural forward flexibility. New Balance Chairman Jim Davis initially projected 5,000 sales, but the 990v1 blew past expectations, moving more than 50,000 pairs in its first six months on the market.

3. New Balance 990v4 (2016)

The New Balance 990v4 arrived in 2016, right as sneaker culture was hitting a fever pitch and adidas’ Ultraboost was helping make comfort a bigger priority for everyday footwear. The v4 slid into that lane nicely, building on the success of its predecessor with a sleeker profile, elongated “N” logos, updated tongue branding, and the removal of the v3’s carbon fiber shank. Nearly a decade later, the silhouette remains in the mix through collaborations and inline releases under the direction of New Balance Made in USA creative lead Teddy Santis. The core grey colorway is available now via the New Balance website HERE.

2. New Balance 990v7 (2026)

How can we possibly give the 990v7 the number two spot when it hasn’t even hit shelves yet? It requires a leap of faith, certainly, but New Balance has earned the benefit of the doubt. We’re betting that the comfort, a defining trait of the series for decades, remains every bit as good as ever. Aesthetically, the silhouette feels like a meeting point between the v2 and v6, pulling from the best of both generations to create something that feels particularly well-suited to today’s sneaker landscape (and far better than those two references). Its debut “Kool Grey” colorway only strengthens that impression, pairing the familiar grey foundation with cream and baby blue accents for a decidedly contemporary finish, a pretty significant departure from the core colorways of past generations.

Building on a legacy as established as the 990 is no small feat. There’s the challenge of appealing to longtime devotees who have worn these shoes for decades, all while giving a new generation of buyers a reason to care. Based on what we’ve seen so far, New Balance has struck that balance beautifully.

1. New Balance 990v3 (2012)

Originally released in 2012 to celebrate the line’s 20th anniversary, the New Balance 990v3 takes the crown as the greatest 990 of all time. The silhouette caught fire in Baltimore upon its debut, building a streetwear legacy that would eventually reach a global audience. The proportions are just right, the comfort delivers, and the details all hit, from the chain-link-inspired texture on the tongue to the chunky, reflective “N” logos around the quarter. Although it arrived years before the dad-shoe wave took shape, the 990v3 returned to the spotlight at just the right time to capitalize on it, serving as the canvas for the inaugural JJJJound x New Balance collaboration before going on to headline standout projects with Joe Freshgoods, Kith, Bodega, Levi’s, and countless others. If not for the 574, the 990v3 might just be the sneaker most synonymous with New Balance.

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