It’s hardly surprising that Justin Bieber has one of the best sneaker collections in Hollywood. The 27-year-old pop star is one of the biggest earners on the planet – Forbes estimates he has a personal net worth of at least £208 million – while he can quite easily get his hands on whatever garb he wants, with extremely rare, sold-out sneakers being no exception. His collection consists of hard-to-come-by Kanye West-, Riccardo Tisci- and Travis Scott-designed Nikes and Yeezys, while he’s even been sighted in some brilliant Bottega Veneta woven trainers.
Now the singer has added a new player to the game. Photographed out in Los Angeles, leaving celebrity-favourite cannabis store Wonderbrett, no less, Biebs slipped into another of his laid-back ’fits. This was made up of a punchy, checkerboard football shirt from Mexican label Liberal Youth Ministry and a pair of Fear Of God Essentials grey marl, fleece shorts. On his feet he had a pair of this summer’s must-have kicks, which are a byproduct of the ongoing partnership between American designer Teddy Santis’ brand Aimé Leon Dore and New Balance.
The trainers take the form of NB’s retro-infused 550s. Up until last year, when Aimé Leon Dore presented its first round of the New Balance shoes, these had lain dormant since their introduction as basketball shoes in the late 1980s. Characterised by its white leather uppers, base and tongue, as well as coloured accents (in this case green and yellow), the ALD 550 has found favour among the likes of Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid, as well as JB.
For us, the design is a must-have this summer. The low-top form allows your ankles to get some airtime (who really wants to be wearing Jordans in this heat?) and the simple colourways make them easy to pair with just about anything, as Bieber has nonchalantly demonstrated.
And while the superb sneakers, which originally went on sale in April at £120, sold out instantly, we’ve done some digging and located where you can still buy a pair. Online resale store Klekt currently has a pair up of the Bieber-approved trainers for grabs at a healthy £351, while Farfetch stocks a pair of Santis’ red, white and black 550s for a cool £456.
That’s the price you’ll have to pay to get yourself a pair of this summer’s hottest sneakers. It’s an investment.
Tom Holland has joined the New Balance gang and now we definitely want in