🗿 Sculpture Center. Carhartt WIP x New Balance 990v6 Made in USA ‘Sculpture Center’. • The first iteration of the 990 hit shelves in 1982. Releasing as one of the most expensive shoes—not just for New Balance—but for the wider footwear market, the 990 was poised to make a statement well before anyone laced it up and hit the sidewalk. Ads at the time recount a desire to “develop the very best running shoe they were capable of”, a process that technically began as far back as spring 1978. As a sneaker that, as New Balance described, combined “stability, cushioning and flexibility, all in one shoe,” the 990 was built unlike any other sneaker before it. More importantly, it established the very core values of New Balance running sneakers that would come afterwards. The OG 990 might have been pricey at the time, but as any sneakerhead worth their shoe collection will tell you, a truly great pair of kicks—whether you’re running in them or simply stocking them—is well worth the investment...