Stone Island x New Balance 991v2
This was the first collab on the 991v2 model & was also the design that rolled out the 991v2 model. These came out last year & were pretty tough to get.tbh. I ended up grabbing my pair via resell shortly after the release when shipped pairs started rolling in. I feel like NB picked a great pair to help launch the 991v2 model & this pair is still one of my favorite v2's to release thus far.
Materials: Starting with the mesh, it has a diamond pattern that is split in half forming 2 triangles and runs t/o the entire upper in a dark š« shade. As for the paneling, wrapping around the toe box & on the midfoot, is a soft, black nubuck with a slight hue of green sprinkled in. Also found on the midfoot is a 3M N logo in that same black olive shade. Moving to the back heel, there's a rubbery (I think it's a rough sueded) panel w/ a ā cutout with 991 branding & behind that is an embroidered upside-down triangle with a V2 logo inside it. Jumping to the bottom of the tongue is a 3M hit, followed by some more mesh & half-way thru is a NB logo on an olive patch that finishes off with a Stone Island patch at the top of the tongue. Moving to the sockliner, it has an olive green kevlar aesthetic (not literally), but it feels pretty comfy & soft on foot. && lastly, branding... on the insole you'll find a SI š§ & also beneath the clear outsole, is the last SI š§ logo Overall, these look very subtle at first, but the more you look at them, you can tell they really went all out and made a pretty awesome design.
Comfort/Sizing: the 991v2 is a more comfortable design than the it's predecessor due to the added fuel cell technology & slightly more toe room added into the design. This makes it a squishy & lightweight pair that's an easy option to choose for long days on your feet. As for sizing, I bought these in my tts (us8) & they honestly fit me perfectly.
Overall Opinion: w/ the upcoming launch of the new CWs of SI 991v2, I wanted to bring these back up for a review. This colorway is definitely one of my favorite designs by SI & I'm looking forward to more of their designs, just hoping the launch goes smooth šš¤