The rivalry between the Harvard Crimson and Yale Bulldogs apparently needs celebratory shoes. This New Balance 574 Concepts Harvard Crimson is limited to 55 pairs.
While this seems like another high-profile Concepts collab, the “collab” aspect is kind of a joke. It’s obvious that Concepts just got a bunch of 574 NB1s (then called IDs) in the same color and threw in a spare pair of gold laces and a football keychain. Anybody could make these! There is no branding or detail on the shoe that indicate that it is a Concepts collab, and the box and style code are the same as a pair of IDs. Same with the Blue and Grey Yale pair. I choose to ignore the Concepts aspect and instead focus on how good of a shoe these are!
I am rocking these with a red hoodie and although it’s a lot of red, it isn’t that bad! Normally I wouldn’t do a blatant match like that, but in this case it works. Either way, I like the look of these with dark jeans. Basically dark jeans and a red or black hoodie is a good go-to fit for a shoe like this.
How Are The Materials?
That Made In USA quality is definitely apparent here. The suede uppers are lush and buttery. This even affects the shape of the shoe and gives them a nice vintage look without needing any reshaping. The materials used remind me of my other pair of 574 IDs, which are also extremely buttery. If you can find these, you will not be disappointed. If you can’t, you can probably make a pair!
How Do They Fit?
These New Balance 574 Concepts Harvard Crimson fit true to size and are super comfortable! If you’ve ever tried some 574s, you know these are great shoes to wear all day. Normally the toeboxes on 574s are a little stiff and boxy, but on Made In USA, the shape is almost perfect right out of the box. I haven’t been on the New Balance NB1 site in a while, but writing this article now makes me want to go back!
Where To Buy the New Balance 574 Concepts Harvard Crimson
As of the writing of this article, you can find Concepts x NB 574s on eBay.
Colorway: Red / Black
Style Code: US574M1
Year of Release: 2013
MSRP: $135