The celebrated ‘Made in USA’ trainer now returns with the New Balance 990v4 in a popping Moonbeam and bold tangerine colourway.
With this whole running resurgence of late, we’ve been harking it back to the golden era of running silhouettes, the 1980s. The 1980s is really where this whole sole technology innovation we know today really started. Something like the equivalent of the Space Race for sneakers but instead of satellites & EVA suits it was GEL sole technology, ENCAP cushioning, Torsion stability & “visible air” underfoot. A decade that saw everything in terms of footwear innovation that would pave the way to a legacy of legends for sportswear brands like New Balance. For the Boston born brand it was all about their “no fuss” approach to running trainers, no gimmick marketing & a “does what is says on the tin” mentality. The thing was for NB is that they didn’t really need to market their shoes because the shoes, and the state-of-the-art tech that they held within kind of marketed themselves. An era that gave us the original inception of the 990 silhouette in 1982, a heavy tech series which would pave the way for modern updates like the ‘Made in USA’ 990v4 trainer which now arrives in an updated moonbeam & tangerine colourway.
The same year American marathon runner and New Balance athlete, Dick Beardsley, crossed the line for the Boston Marathon in 1982 wearing a pair of New Balance running trainers, the Boston born brand introduced their very first 990 trainer. Featuring state-of-the-art sole technology & cushioning the 990 was an instant hit among those in the know & the running elite. The 990 series has continued to make waves over the last 40 plus years with modern updates to the classic 80s runner like ABZORB sole technology which was patented by New Balance back in the mid 1990s. Tasked with creating sole technology that could absorb impact & disperse energy, NB’s R&D (research & development) team went all in with ABZORB, creating a dual-density foam engineered to minimise shock for runners in the process. It was NB’s highly respected ABZORB that featured on the 990v4 trainer which launched 10 years ago in 2016, following on from the success of the 990v3 from 2012.
The very latest in the celebrated 990 series now returns for 2026 with a very special ‘Made in USA’ release. Featuring suede & mesh uppers the 990v4 is dressed up moonbeam & tangerine hues with the addition of reflective accents for that nostalgic Y2K touch & classic NB branding to the heel. On the tech side there’s NB’s signature ENCAP midsole technology which boasts a soft, cushioned EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) core with a durable rigid polyurethane (PU) rim, primarily in the heel. The 990v4 doesn’t stop there though there’s also ABZORB sole cushioning & a Ndurance outsole which features a specialised rubber compound specially engineered by New Balance to provide maximum durability underfoot.
The New Balance ‘Made in USA’ 990v4 ‘Moonbeam’ trainer is now available from MYRAIL. Want to get more updates from MYRAIL about performance footwear & technical apparel? Then be sure to subscribe here.
