First of all, can you introduce yourself and what you do?

I’m Sam Pearce, I have been working at New Balance just short of a decade and currently hold the position of Creative Design Manager for footwear based in our European HQ.

People in the sneaker industry have a deep connection with sneakers throughout their early life, was there something that specifically made you want to become a footwear designer?

Like most kids growing up “sport was life” and it was basketball that came most naturally to me, I became obsessed with sneakers as they transcended the game like no other. The 90’s was kind of the “sneaker boom” era, new technologies, endorsement deals and advertising, who wouldn’t want a piece of that? I inherited an ability for drawing from my father and always had an inquisition for how things worked… I had no idea at the time but my career choice seems so obvious now, it’s the perfect marriage of all my early interests.

What attracted you to such a big brand like New Balance?

The funny thing is I got into NB because it wasn’t really a big brand as such… It’s been privately owned by the same family since 1972 and its this unique quality that has been vital in retaining the brands integrity and clear direction over the years. To back domestic manufacturing when the whole industry switched to far east production is a testament to that and it this area that captured my attention. I share that classic British attitude of backing the underdog and this company embodies that.

As a young designer entering New Balance – how did you manage the pressure of working with such a prestigious brand early on in your career?

It was sink or swim situation for sure, I got my head down and kept on task, learning off some of the “lifers” (brand term for long serving employee) at the company. I was hired as a performance designer but very quickly this turned into anything from MIUK collaborations using luxury materials to technical performance running tooling design. It’s very unique to have exposure to both worlds in one role but I was very fortunate and am a better designer because of it.

It is well documented that you have an extensive New Balance collection, have you always been a collector and fan of the brand? Or has this been ignited by working at New Balance?

I grew up in an era without social media, if you turned up in something no one else had you were king. That’s maybe been lost in recent time because of social pressures and the need to fit in, if everyone in my group was wearing 3 stripes I would seek out something else… and so entered New Balance. When I started working here and was looking for inspiration there were really no reference points to use from an historical point of view. So, I found out all my old shoes / sneaker magazines and started to build a platform that I could personally reference, it’s kind of snowballed from there.

New Balance has always been huge, but most recently models like the 990, 991 and the 992 have become hugely popular, why do you think this is?

Everything goes in cycles, especially in the fashion industry. Only a few years ago no one was interested in this look at all… even when those models were released they were often seen as outdated in the market but the dad shoe / chunky trend hit simultaneously and we were obviously right there as the originator’s decades earlier. We were the choice of world influencers in art, film, technology long before endorsement deals were ever in place and it’s great to see this recognition being appreciated by today’s consumer.

It has been documented that you were part of the team to re-instate the 992 through New Balance’s American team, what was your initial drive to get this sneaker back out into the market and what sort of challenges did you face?

It was actually something we had planned a few years ago from a made in UK perspective, we were making the 991 and 993 at the time and it would have been a nice lineage to have. The fact this is the only 990 never to have a retro kind of cemented its legacy within the fan base and collectors are still scrambling for the original pairs even now. It was a very complicated and expensive shoe to build, 78 different sizes / widths as well as the introduction of “Abzorb SBS” cushioning technology. The USA team have done an excellent job of recreating the model like for like and after a 10-year hiatus I am very glad to see it back.

Why do you think the New Balance 992 has transcended from its early days go to runner to becoming such a prominent sneaker in contemporary fashion and sneaker culture?

The 990 line was actually way ahead of its time, NB had recognised people beginning to wear running shoes as a casual item in the late 1970s and were the first to design for that trend. This has remained key for the entire line and the 992 is probably most famous for this crossover visual, the grey suede and clunky sole were far away from the space age runners expected during the 2000’s. Then Steve Jobs stepped on stage in his black roll neck, Levis and NBs to deliver a product that would change popular culture and the way society functions forever. You can’t plan for those kind of moments, every so often the perfect storm comes along and creates an icon.

This is obviously the first re-release since 2006 and constantly been a hit in the U.S and worldwide. Never available in the U.K market place. Do you think the appetite for the release was ever evident and realised? & will the demand ever be truly fulfilled?

A model like the 992 has to be treated very carefully, there is a delicate balance between meeting consumer demand and oversaturating the market with stock. Of course, it’s in NB’s interests to recognise and deliver on this but like anything worthwhile in this world you always want to leave people wanting more.

Out of every New Balance silhouette, which is your favourite and why?

Now you’re testing me… There is something very special about the 1300, the original version has only ever been available in that one iconic colour and released in a small number every 5 years. I can’t think of any other model in the entire industry as pure as that, amazing really. New Balance personified.

As of late, New Balance have been re-introducing classic styles to the market. Would there be any sneaker from New Balance you would like to see re-introduced?

With a lot of NBs historic models being completely bypassed by sneaker culture there is a bottomless well of styles that could return in my opinion. NB Japan have a whole series of 90’s exclusives that deserve to be reissued. One of my favourites is the 651 and I have only ever seen one pair in the Tokyo office archive. It has this mad window in the heel where you can see the cushioning working and the upper is like a 998 meets 1300. I have been lobbying for its return for some years now, maybe one day it’ll make it back!

What are your thoughts on modern sneaker culture and collaborations that have been so dominant in recent years?

Looking at things from a design point of view collaborations are kind of the “added upgrade” right at the end of all the hard work. To think that 15 years ago collaborations didn’t really exist (actually NB were one of the first to the game) and now product almost can’t be deemed a success without one is very telling of how sneaker culture has evolved. Footwear is now not just equipment or an expression of yourself it’s a global competition, an art piece, a drug!

If you could have designed any shoe, New Balance or not, what would it have been and why?

Great question! I have hit a few goals in my career so far, my designs have shown up in movies and on Olympic podiums but I guess if I was really thinking about it I would probably select a significant cultural event where your design is etched into history. The lunar landings would have been a good one, first shoe on another planet, yeah, I would like to have that on the resume