Initial Impressions, New Balance, Sneakers

New Balance 1890: Action Bronson Cyborg Tears

February 8, 2026February 8, 2026 by 100wears

Price: $220 [SOLD OUT; Check eBay for Current Prices]

Why Buy?

The New Balance 1890 Cyborg Tears might be Action Bronson’s best design.

Why Avoid?

The New Balance 1890 Cyborg Tears has materials that fit a shoe half it’s price.

Specs

Model	1890
Height	Low
Materials	Synthetics / EVA / Rubber
Size	13
Weight	424 g / 14..96 oz
Construction	Cemented
Country of Origin	China

History

New Balance has a tendency to let their collaborators go a bit more wild than other brands. While Salehe Bembury was the catalyst for this, nobody has taken their liberties with color more than Action Bronson. If you’re not familiar, Action Bronson – real name Ariyan Arslani – is a rapper based out of NYC who is releasing these sneakers under his Baklava brand.

Baklava’s collaborations have typically been on existing models – the 990v6, 1906, etc. – however in January of 2026, New Balance decided to launch an entirely new model in collaboration with Action Bronson: The 1890.

The New Balance 1890 aims to fall somewhere between a more technical running sneaker and a purely casual design. However, the same exact thing can be said for nearly every New Balance model released in the last few years – the 2010, 1000, even the 1906 and 9060. Other than the bright colors on this collab pair, does the 1890 stand out?

Let’s dive in and find out.

Looks

Upper

The upper of this New Balance 1890, at least outside of color, is actually quite minimalist. Nearly the entire thing is made up of a very thin blue mesh with a polka-dot cut out pattern. Added on top of this mesh, various blues are layered on via a heat press method. These panels have a decidedly aquatic look to them – not just in the color, but in the tear drop design running along the front of the shoe, accented with a metallic panel at the bottom of each.

Moving back, a large N is part of a blue, green, and navy panel that acts as a cage for containment. Unlike some models, this N is on both the interior and exterior of the sneaker.

Coming to the back of the sneaker, the blues and greens give way to a monochromatic black and grey section of synthetic panels and mesh. On these panels you’ll find the 1890 branding along with some reflective hits right at your heel.

The tongue comes in a purple mesh, with lilac rope laces coming pre-installed. At the top of the tongue, a large and thick clear rubber panel is inlaid with the Baklava and New Balance branding.

Mid- and Outsole

While it might surprise a lot of people, the outsole on the New Balance 1890 is actually the original outsole used on the 2002 back when it was made in the US.

Designed with an EVA foam along the top, grey on this pair, Abzorb rubber in the middle, and EVA foam on the bottom, it is a decidedly techy looking design. It certainly is not going to be for everyone, even outside of this bright make up on the Cyborg Tears colorway.

2002 1890 Outsole — *2002 with original midsole*

The defining feature is the 17 Abzorb pods running nearly 360 degrees around the shoe. While you’re not actually putting that much weight on them – the pods don’t actually go under your foot – they create a unique look for the shoe and will probably be why a lot of people go for this model.

Taking a look at the bottom of the sneaker, the New Balance 1890 features a thick rubber outsole along with a hard plastic shank plate.

Throughout the mid- and outsole of this model, New Balance didn’t skimp on branding. Abzorb, Stretchweb, and NB all make an appearance.

Summary

The New Balance 1890 in this Cyborg Tears colorway is a design that I’m a bit split on.

On one hand, this is a surprisingly wearable color from Action Bronson. The blues, greens, and purples all go very well together, and allow the orange hits on the midsole to do the talking. Add in the techy vibe and the Cyborg Tears name really fits the bill.

At the same time, none of the materials or design feel premium. In fact, a lot of it – especially the blue mesh they used for the upper – feels and looks downright cheap. We’ll get to the materials layer in the review, but they certainly don’t look premium in the way similar $200+ New Balance sneakers do.

For styling these, you can go right to the retro runner style that has been popular for years now. Jeans or sweats with a hoodie or a t shirt will be an easy combo. I wouldn’t try to dress these up any more than that – these are squarely in the casual space.

Fit & Comfort

Fit

The New Balance 1890 fits mostly true to size. They are a bit narrow in the toe box, but the thin upper allows for a lot of flexibility so most people should be OK with standard sizing. One thing to flag – upcoming models have more substantial overlays on the upper. They might not be quite so forgiving.

I got these in my standard size 13, and feel like I got the correct sizing.

Comfort

When it comes to comfort on the New Balance 1890, what you think of them will really depend on your expectations. If you go into this buying the marketing that these are the perfect blend of running and casual wear, you’ll probably be disappointed. On the other hand, if you like the style and just want to make sure you can wear them all day, I think you’ll be more than happy.

Ultimately, these are based on a sneaker that is 20 years old. They are not going to blow your mind. At the same time, there is absolutely nothing wrong with an EVA and Abzorb rubber combo outsole. It has all of that early-2000’s New Balance feel where even if it isn’t the softest, you’re not going to bottom out.

Further the upper is very flexible, if maybe not quite as plush as someone might want.

I would have no problem wearing these all day for running errands or hanging out with friends, but might not be what I would pick if I knew I was going to be a tourist in a new city.

Materials & Construction

Materials

The materials of the New Balance 1890 Cyborg Tears, especially given the price point, are more than a little disappointing.

The majority of the upper is made from a thin, synthetic mesh. While I appreciate the flexibility for sizing purposes, it started to fray after just a single wear. It might not get to the point of ripping, but this panel is going to look rough pretty quickly. The PU fused on top of the panel is high enough quality, and should be durable, but (again) it doesn’t look like a premium sneaker.

Moving back, the black panel is a (cheap feeling) synthetic panel on top of more synthetic mesh.

Really, the only panel on the upper of the sneaker that feels premium is the rubber logo on the tongue. This piece is thick, flexible, and feels great in hand. Unfortunately, it sits on top of a tongue that has nearly no padding in it.

Underfoot things do get a little bit better. A glued down open-celled insole sits on top of a full-length EVA foam. This is connected to a ½ length plastic shank, and surrounded by rubberized Abzorb SBS pods. While you don’t actually stand on the pods themselves, they do come into play with any foot roll. Below those pods are another layer of EVA finished off with a thick layer of rubber.

While the design of the outsole might be slightly deceiving, it’s overall a great design with high quality materials that will almost certainly last longer than the upper.

Construction

The New Balance 1890 Cyborg Tears is made using cemented construction. This style of construction – by far the most common for any footwear – sees the upper and midsole glued together using contact cement.

While there are some drawbacks, for example they cannot be resoled easily – this form of construction offers unparalleled flexibility and water resistance. Given the goal of blending sporty feel with contemporary design, this is absolutely the correct construction to use.

Pricing & Value

The New Balance 1890 Cyborg Tears originally launched with an MSRP of $210 through Action Bronson’s website and did sell out in most sizes. New Balance tends to charge a noticeable mark-up on their collaborations, and these are no different. They are among the most expensive non-MADE models the brand has ever released.

Prices on the resale market currently sit around $250 – plus or minus a few dollars depending on sizing. There was a rumored re-release on New Balance’s own website, but a couple weeks post-release they have not been loaded up.

Are the New Balance 1890 Cyborg Tears Worth It

Let’s start off with the good. The New Balance 1890 in this Cyborg Tears colorway is one of the best styled Action Bronson collabs to release – at least in my opinion. It manages to be eye catching and bright, without looking like some pairs where Arslani seemingly never stopped adding colors. They also feature a very cool midsole that offers that classic New Balance support with a design that looks fresh.

Now let’s do the bad. The New Balance 1890 Cyborg Tears uses materials that would be more appropriate on shoes half this price. Even if you’re the type of person to roll their eyes every time a shoe reviewer goes on about the suppleness of leather, you’re going to notice it. Even worse, they are going to look beat after just a few wears.

I’m not telling you to not get these shoes. If you’re a huge Action Bronson fan this might just be his best design work with New Balance so far. Further – it doesn’t really matter that I don’t think they’re worth $220 because the resale market has already determined they are worth more than that.