New Balance Numeric | Brand History, Shoe Breakdown & More!

Find out everything you need to know about New Balance Numeric as we dive deep into the lore of one of the finest skate shoe brands in the game, covering their history, team, shoes and more.

Shop all New Balance Numeric skate shoes at CSC now!

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Wondering how New Balance Numeric skate shoes fit? Unsure what the difference is between New Balance and New Balance Numeric? Confused by what all the different numbers mean? Have no fear, we're here to answer all your burning questions with our ultimate guide to New Balance Numeric, covering everything from the brand's origins to what goes into making their shoes. We stock a wide range of New Balance Numeric skate shoes, from the 272 all the way up to the 1010, which you can find out more about below. We've tried to be as thorough as possible, however, if you've got any more specific questions that we haven't answered then feel free to drop us an email, a DM via Instagram or just pop into our shop to try some on for yourself!

New Balance Numeric Brand History

First launched back in 2012 as an offshoot of the main New Balance brand, New Balance Numeric entered the game a fair bit later than some of their corporate competitors like Nike and adidas, who both started dipping their toes into skating around the turn of the millennium. Despite these other brands having a significant head start, New Balance Numeric still managed to quickly rise to become one of the most successful skate shoe brands of the current generation, earning a reputation for producing some of the highest-quality skate shoes the game, putting together a tasteful team filled with legends from all over the globe and generally just doing things properly.

Right from the get-go, New Balance showed a level of awareness and sensitivity to skate culture that many of their corporate peers originally neglected, which famously resulted in Nike's first foray into skating ending unsuccessfully. Rather than repeating those mistakes, New Balance Numeric have always featured skaters at the core of everything they do, whether that's hiring Scottish legend John Rattray to be their original team manager, working with Jamie Thomas' Black Box distribution, or their general manager, Sebastian Palmer, who used to run Sumo Skate Shop in Sheffield before working for a series of other skate brands. So, while New Balance itself might not be a skater-owned brand, it's clear that New Balance Numeric has always been run by and for skaters.

Fast-forward to today and it's safe to say that New Balance Numeric have earned their place at the very top of the skate shoe game and their showing no signs of slowing down. Over the years they've amassed a strong lineup of shoes, including some of the most popular and groundbreaking models we've seen in recent times, as well as collaborating with a load of other beloved skate brands, including Bronze 56k, Chocolate, Krooked, Village Psychic and Lost Art. Their team only seems to be growing stronger and they're consistently putting out some of the finest quality videos out of any brand in, so it seems safe to say that we're probably gonna be seeing a lot more from New Balance Numeric in the years to come.

New Balance Numeric Team

While Nike SB in particular has always taken a more sportslike approach to their team, using their financial might to sponsor all the 'top athletes' in skating, New Balance Numeric instead took a more thoughtful, curated approach. For their initial team, they started out with just four skaters: Arto Saari, PJ Ladd, Levi Brown and Tom Karangelov, each of which is a certified legend in their own right despite perhaps not getting the same levels of hype as someone like Paul Rodriguez. Today, the New Balance Numeric team features an equally eclectic mix of cult favourites, with pro models for the likes of Jamie Foy, Tom Knox, Tiago Lemos, Franky Villani, Andrew Reynolds and Brandon Westgate. Alongside these pros, the New Balance Numeric team also includes a wide variety of other big names and under-rated icons, like Jake Hayes, Aimu Yamazuki, Patrick Praman, Jordan Trahan, Justin Henry, Tyler Surrey, Ryan Lay, Shaun Paul, Marcello Campanello and countless others.

Likewise, while Nike SB tightened their team budget and started placing even greater emphasis on elite pros in the 2010s, leading to a lot of lesser-known European and UK skaters getting dropped, New Balance Numeric have instead always been strong supporters of the UK scene. Largely due to the work of the dynamic duo that is Dave Mackey and Mark Baines, the regional Brand Manager and Europe Team Manager respectively, New Balance Numeric have been one of the main brands hooking up British talent over the last decade or so, including the likes of Dale Starkie, Charlie Birch, Dale Starkie, Evan Johnson, Fred Ryan, Charlie Munro and many more. Their recent videos centred around their UK and Europe team, like Josh Hallett's 'Wake Up Massi' and 'Still Kid', are easily some of our favourites they've ever put out.

New Balance Numeric Skate Shoes

Given New Balance's reputation for producing high-quality footwear for both performance and leisure, it should come as no surprise that New Balance Numeric skate shoes boast similar levels of technical innovation and attention-to-detail. Many of their skate shoes borrow both design cues and technical features from New Balance's mainline range, utilising their decades worth of research and development into other sports, such as running, tennis and basketball, and repurposing the technology for use in skateboarding in order to provide next-level comfort and performance.

Throughout their range, New Balance Numeric consistently strive for top-tier performance for all styles of skating. Whether you're after an ultra-thin vulc for maximum boardfeel, a super chunky cupsole for impact protection and cushioning, or something in the middle, New Balance Numeric are sure to have you covered. But don't worry if you're new to this and have no idea what 'vulc' or 'cupsole' means, we've got a handy guide on Vulcanised vs Cupsole Shoes over on our Blog to help break it down for you. Due to how destructive skating can be on your shoes, durability is always a key priority for NB# and most of their shoes feature multi-panelled uppers with more hard-wearing materials in areas where durability is needed and mesh panels for breathability where it's not, both of which are usually reinforced with double, if not triple, stitched seams. Likewise, the majority of their lineup also boasts their signature NDurance rubber compound which ensures long-lasting outsole grip and durability.

Alongside these more generic features, New Balance Numeric skate shoes also feature a wide variety of more niche specialisations to help the shoes really excel in certain areas, some of which are borrowed from other sports and others are designed specifically for skating. These include a vaulted heel in some of their vulcs, which offers extra impact protection in the heel without compromising boardfeel; their FuelCell midsole, which features in many of their cupsoles and offers premium comfort and support while thinning out towards the toe for better boardfeel; their unique FantomFit technology, which offers an extra layer of durability while also helping keep your foot locked-in for a more secure fit; and so much more.

Playing on the Numeric name, New Balance Numeric skate shoes have always featured numbers instead of standard names, much like the New Balance mainline range, with higher numbers generally indicating more advanced technical features. This often means that vulcanised models, like the 272 and Jamie Foy 306, are on the lower end of the numerical scale while cupsole models featuring more advanced midsoles and other technology, like the Reynolds 933 and Tiago 1010, come in at the higher end of the spectrum. We've included a more detailed breakdown of what to expect from each New Balance Numeric model, as well as information on how they fit, below:

New Balance Numeric 272 Skate Shoes

One of New Balance Numeric's most minimalist offerings. The NM272 comes in a low-top silhouette with a thin vulcanised construction for maximum boardfeel. The shoe also boasts features such as a one-piece toe-box for durability, a mesh tongue for breathability and a removable Ortholite insole for comfort and impact protection. Due to the lack of internal padding and wider feel of vulcanised shoes, we find the New Balance Numeric 272 fits slightly large.

New Balance Numeric Jamie Foy 306 Skate Shoes

One of the most popular models in the Numeric range, particularly in the vulcanised department. The Jamie Foy 306 comes in a low-top silhouette with a vulcanised construction that blends boardfeel with durability and cushioning. The shoe boasts features such as a one-piece toe-box for durability, mesh panels for breathability, a removable Abzorb insole for comfort and impact protection and an NDurance rubber outsole for grip and durability. New Balance Numeric have since released the Jamie Foy 306 Cup which reimagines the shoe with a cupsole construction for added support. We find that the New Balance Numeric Jamie Foy 306 fits true to size.

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New Balance Numeric 440v2 Skate Shoes

Another long-time favourite and one of their thinnest cupsole shoes. The New Balance Numeric 440v2 comes in both low- and high-top silhouettes with a slimmed-down cupsole construction for a blend of boardfeel and support. The shoe boasts features such as a reinforced suede toe-box and NDurance rubber outsole for durability, mesh panels for breathability and an Abzorb midsole and Ortholite insole for comfort and impact protection. We find the New Balance Numeric 440v2 is wide around the forefoot but otherwise fits true to size.

New Balance Numeric 480 Skate Shoes

A classic basketball shoe reimagined for skating. The New Balance Numeric 480 comes in both low- and high-top silhouettes with a sturdy cupsole construction for support and impact protection. The shoe boasts features such as a reinforced toe panel and NDurance rubber outsole for durability, a mesh tongue and perforated toe for breathability and an Abzorb insole and full-length FuelCell midsole for comfort and support. We find the New Balance Numeric 480 fits true to size.

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New Balance Numeric 574 Vulc Skate Shoes

One of New Balance's most iconic running shoes repurposed for skating. The New Balance 574 Vulc comes in a low-top silhouette with a vulcanised construction for maximum boardfeel. The shoe boasts features such as mesh panels for breathability, a removable Abzorb insole for comfort and a unique vaulted heel design for additional impact protection without sacrificing boardfeel. Due to the lack of internal padding and wider feel of vulcanised shoes, we find the New Balance Numeric 574 Vulc fits slightly large.

New Balance Numeric Tom Knox 600 Skate Shoes

A retro court shoe-inspired pro model for UK legend, Tom Knox. The New Balance Numeric Tom Knox 600 comes in a low-top silhouette with a slimmed-down cupsole construction for a blend of boardfeel and support. The shoe boasts features such as a FantomFit reinforced toe-box for durability and a secure fit, mesh panels for breathability, a full-length FuelCell midsole and removable Ortholite insole for comfort and impact protection and an NDurance rubber outsole for extra grip and durability. We find the New Balance Numeric Tom Knox 600 fits true to size.

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New Balance Numeric Reynolds 933 Skate Shoes

Inspired by the iconic New Balance 990 series, the Reynolds 933 reimagines the comfort and support of a running shoe for skateboarding performance. The New Balance Numeric Reynolds 933 comes in a low-top silhouette with a cupsole construction tailored towards stability and cushioning. The shoe boasts features such as a reinforced toe-box for added durability; a full-length Abzorb midsole and stacked heel design with Controlled Reaction Device for next-level cushioning and stability; and a TPU shank plate for extra rigidity and improved energy return. Due to its highly padded interior we find the New Balance Numeric Reynolds 933 is true to size in length but fits quite narrow around the forefoot so we generally recommend sizing up if you have wide feet. You can also check out our Reynolds 933 Shoe Review for a more detailed breakdown.

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New Balance Numeric Tiago 1010 Skate Shoes

An ultra high-tech pro model for all-time legend, Tiago Lemos. The New Balance Numeric Tiago 1010 comes in a low-top silhouette with a cupsole construction for comfort, support and impact protection. The shoe boasts features such as a triple-stitched reinforced toe panel for added durability; a dual-density, full-length FuelCell midsole and molded Ortholite insole for comfort and impact protection; FantomFit heel stabilisers for a locked-in feel; mesh panels for breathability; and a multi-density outsole for optimal grip. Due to its padded interior we find the New Balance Numeric Tiago 1010 fits slightly small so we recommend sizing up if you don't like too snug a fit.

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General note on sizing: how a shoe fits can vary massively depending on the shape of your foot so any advice is always subjective and can be different person to person. We always recommend trying a pair on in-store to make sure they're the right size. That being said, a lot of people find that New Balance shoes in general come up a bit small so sizing up half a size is often recommended. Also, vulcanised shoes generally tend to be wider than cupsoles which can make them feel larger.

New Balance Numeric Clothing

Alongside their best-selling skate shoes, New Balance Numeric have also recently branched out into the clothing game. Opting for the less-is-more approach, New Balance Numeric clothing focuses on clean, timeless designs with an emphasis on premium-quality construction. Rather than going for bold branding, they often stick to simple logos and instead use design features like piping and colour-blocking to help their pieces stand out. Just like with their skate shoes, their clothing utilises the finest quality materials, again sometimes taking inspiration from New Balance's technological developments in other sports, which results in a more performance-oriented feel than your average skate brand. We stock a wide range of New Balance Numeric apparel, including T-Shirts, Crews Jackets, Caps and Socks, all of which feature that top-quality construction and attention-to-detail you expect from the brand.

That's enough chit-chat though. Head to the shop to browse the full range of New Balance Numeric skate shoes and buy now from CSC. Or, find out more about your favourite skate brands on the CSC Blog. Safe.