I’ve reviewed some NB x Concepts collabs before, but none that are at this level of dopeness. The New Balance 999 Concepts SEAL is based off of the OTB Abyss II high-performance boot used by US Navy SEALs.
These feature a heatmap print-type graphic on the inner liner, Morse coding on the tongue tag and a Concepts branding on the insole.
I tend to go with grey tops and medium wash jeans with these. The tan mixed with different blues makes these somewhat difficult to create a whole outfit from. An alternative way to pull these off could be khakis with a white top.
Typically, Concepts collabs come with a lot of hype. In this case, the shoe saw a restock which enabled me to grab them before they sold out completely. These definitely deserve all the attention they get though, as the color combination and inspiration, not to mention the quality, are all damn near perfect.
How Are The Materials?
Concepts Nike collabs are often hit or miss with materials. In this case, we have a top notch premium composition consisting of ripstop near the ankle, and water, wind and stain repellent microfiber suede. Not to mention the 3M hit around the N logo on the side. The suede on these is so nice! You will definitely not be disappointed in the materials on these should you decide to go for a pair.
How Do They Fit?
The New Balance 999 Concepts SEAL fit true to size and are very comfortable. I think the last Concepts collaboration I picked up is one of the more uncomfy shoes I own, so the difference here is like night and day. My only complaint on these is the toebox is really boxy. I did some reshaping, but overall these do suffer from a bit of brick toe. Regardless of the toebox shape, this is still one of the best quality pairs I own.
Where To Cop the New Balance 999 Concepts SEAL
As of the writing of this article, you can find these on eBay
Colorway: Blue / Grey – Khaki
Style Code: ML999COP
Year of Release: 2012
MSRP: $150