Jack Harlow, Endrick & an Undersung New Balance Classic (EXCLUSIVE)
New Balance’s T500 tennis shoe made its long-awaited low-profile comeback in 2023 by way of an Aimé Leon Dore collaboration. Instead of a full-scale relaunch, though, New Balance settled the silhouette into seasonal refreshes, the latest being backed by Brazilian football phenom Endrick and stylish rapper Jack Harlow.
Endrick, born Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa, is an 18-year-old Real Madrid striker widely considered the future of Brazilian football. He stars in New Balance’s T500 campaign alongside Harlow, combining the cultural currency of two rising stars from very different worlds.
When Endrick first saw the T500, he couldn’t help himself. “This is spectacular,” Endrick tells Highsnobiety. “I was surprised by the design. I’m definitely going to wear it all the time.”
The New Balance T500 debuted in 1982 as a performance tennis shoe. Its modern iteration stays faithful to its roots with a clean leather upper, perforated toe box, and retro off-white sole.
The pair worn in the accompanying campaign features deep burgundy “N” logos that pop against the crisp white base, which always makes for an objectively good-looking shoe but also aesthetically reflects the refined leisure of tennis.
“It was really important to me to participate in this campaign because I’m a huge fan of Jack,” Endrick says. ”I really understand his passion for music because it reminds me of my passion for football.”
The campaign itself feels particularly timely. Harlow brings cultural pull, while Endrick symbolises next-gen athletic promise, both factors embodying the T500’s ethos.
The T500’s strength lies in this duality. It’s a shoe that bridges sport and streetwear, part of what makes it so appealing to Endrick. “It’s a gorgeous model and I feel confident wearing it off the field,” he explains. “I love that it's tennis-inspired, so you’re able to play with it from styling in a sporting or casual way.”
But because Endrick’s off-pitch style leans heavily into streetwear — “I really like oversized clothing,” he says — he mixes things up with shoes of different weights. Before a big game, for instance, he prefers the white New Balance 9060, another modern update to a classic NB silhouette.
But Endrick may have most in common with the T500 after all, emphasizing two sides of his own personality.
"On the field, my goal is to help my team, to score goals, and to play a great match,” he says. “Off the field, it’s to be close to my family and loved ones.”
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