The New Balance Numeric 480 x Premier Morel takes inspiration from the morel mushroom – an iconic delicacy foraged throughout Premier’s home state of Michigan. Premier has long pulled from local nature and Midwest landscapes for its collaborations, and this pair continues that tradition with one of their most creative concepts to date.
The New Balance 480 originally launched in 1983 as one of the brand’s earliest basketball models, famously worn by James Worthy. Decades later, it was revived as a lifestyle option before being retooled into the Numeric 480 skate shoe, now featuring reinforced construction, a skate-ready toe cap, double-stitching, and a combination of ABZORB insole + FuelCell midsole for modern cushioning.
This collab brings in a full morel-cap pattern debossed across the upper, paired with HyphaLite™ TC – a sustainable, mushroom-derived plant-based material – used on the N logo and tongue tag. Premier branding appears on the tongue, insole (on top of mushroom graphics), and on a small side tag, adding subtle co-branded touches without overpowering the theme.
I’ve always wanted to try the 480, and grabbing a Premier collab felt like the right place to start – especially for $87 shipped from Orchard Skateshop. The pattern gives off the same “brain texture” vibe as the END x Saucony Azura 2000s I owned years ago, and the earthy greige palette nails the morel inspiration perfectly.
The shoes come in a special co-branded box with the mushroom pattern on the lid, mushroom graphics inside, greige flat laces, a second set of hiker-style flat striped laces, plus a foraging-themed shoe bag and sticker.
Materials
While the Numeric 480 is built for durability, this pair manages to feel premium too. The main upper is a soft patterned leather featuring the morel-inspired debossing, paired with tumbled leather underlays. The HyphaLite mushroom-based material on the N logo and tongue reinforces the nature concept, and the overall package feels incredibly high quality – especially at the price I paid. This is a slept-on model that really shines in collab form.
Fit & Comfort
Comfortable at true to size with that familiar skate-shoe sturdiness, yet surprisingly lightweight. Some wearers mention stiffness or narrowness through the midfoot, but I didn’t experience that – the toebox actually felt roomier than expected. Built for skating with a supportive, low-to-the-ground feel, these are solid for casual everyday wear, as long as I’m not sporting these all day. For a couple hours at a time though, these are great!
If these are sold out at different stores online, you can try looking for them on eBay.
Colorway: Brown / White
Style Code: 480PMR
Retail Price: $130
Year of Release: 2024