New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio: Top-Tier Tokyo
Price: $200
Why Buy?
The New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio has great materials and a unique look that really set it apart.
Why Avoid?
The New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio isn’t all that comfortable, and doesn’t come cheap.
Specs
| Model | 574 TDS |
| Height | Low |
| Materials | Leather / Polyester / Rubber |
| Size | 13 |
| Weight | 699 g / 1 lb 8.65 oz. |
| Construction | Cemented |
| Country of Origin | China |
History
For a brand that wraps itself in the American flag so often, New Balance is surprisingly international. A few weeks back we took a look at a couple of Made-in-UK models, but it doesn’t stop there. As you can probably guess by the name of this article, New Balance also has a design studio based in Tokyo, Japan. This studio is tasked with taking classic designs and reworking them to fit Japan’s more fashion-forward look.
Of course, New Balance sells these worldwide.
While many of these Tokyo-designed models are just different colorways, in the case of the New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio they really went for it. Using upgraded materials as well as a revised upper, midsole, and outsole design, the new 574 definitely pushes the envelope on what a classic New Balance design can be.
I should point out, while New Balance does have a Japanese factory, these are not made there. Instead, these are designed in Japan, but built alongside the other 574s.
Of course, these changes didn’t come cheap. Are all these changes worth the 300% or more jump in price? Let’s dive in and find out.
Looks
Upper
Starting with the upper, the first thing you notice is that the sneaker really is a step above when it comes to materials. Even compared to New Balance’s top-spec made in US/UK models, these feel and look like the brand took another step.
In fact, they are so much nicer a lot of folks who only wear sneakers might not like it. Real leather has imperfections – small marks, pores, etc. This isn’t a flaw in the leather, it’s a matter of fact when you’re dealing with a natural material. Most sneakers either use a heavy plastic coating on their leather, or sand down the top layer so that the imperfections are gone. In both cases this makes a shoe easier to mass produce, but harms longevity.
On the New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio, you’ll find those natural imperfections. The white leather is still coated, but only a vanishingly thin layer. It’s required to get a pure white color.
Elsewhere, you’ll see small changes that make a big difference. Perhaps most notably, the “N” logo has been completely removed. Replaced by a plain panel. The heel and toe panels have been enlarged, emphasizing that natural leather. There are also small quality of life improvements – more leather around the collar and toe panels. Both of these will help the shoe last longer.
The colorway on this particular model – called “Nimbus / Burgundy” – mirrors that classic Stan Smith design. Mostly white, with a hit of red on the heel with New Balance’s name.
Inside, the improvements continue. Real leather lines the back half of the shoe, and a high quality insole with “Tokyo Design Studio” sits underfoot.
Mid- and Outsole
New Balance didn’t stop with the upper on the 574 Tokyo Design Studio. Significant changes were made to pretty much the entire lower half of the sneaker.
Let’s start off with the only thing I really dislike. In order to try and hit their goal of making this look like “a dress shoe,” they added a fake welt with fake stitching along the edge of the sneaker. Not only do I dislike trying to play off that a shoe is made in a better way than it actually is, but fake welts almost always fall off and/or crack. The small amount of glue they attach to is never enough.
New Balance spent so much time improving the rest of the sneaker, it’s kind of sad to see this addition.
That being said, the rest of the mid and outsole does not disappoint. In a design from the 574 legacy, three different densities of foam make up the midsole, each in their own color – white, grey, and cream. Cut in a design that expands as it gets closer to the floor, it looks premium.
The real kicker is on the bottom. Here, New Balance used a Vibram-branded ripple outsole. I’ll save my praise on this from a material perspective till later, but style wise it’s a bold choice that I love. Others may not, but New Balance wanted a fashion-forward look and they got it.
Summary
The New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio really surprised me. If I’m being honest – I originally bought these thinking they were made in Japan. I wanted to do a comparison to the made in US and UK models. I had every intention of putting them right up on eBay after I posted the review.
However, since they arrived, I’ve really taken to them. They are definitely not the easiest thing in the world to style, and I really wish they didn’t use that fake welt, but otherwise they feel special. The materials look high quality, and when you do nail the look, they bring an outfit together.
Personally, I found the best way to style them is with other more fashion forward designs. Thinner, lighter denim – no 21 oz raws with these – and a nice long sleeve t-shirt is my go-to when pulling these out.
One more thing you should be aware of, these things are tall. More than 2 inches in this size 13 pair. To all my fashionable short kings, this is your sneaker.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
The New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio fits pretty small for a sneaker, both in width and height. I know that 574s in general are tighter fitting, but these are even more so. I think that much of this comes down to additional padding in the sneaker, so they might open up slightly with wear. That being said, if you’re in between sizes, I’d definitely suggest going up rather than down.
I got these in my typical sneaker size of 13. If they had a 13.5 I probably would have fit in that better, but a 14 was too large.
For a full list of sizing in every shoe reviewed on this site, click here.
Comfort
The comfort was one area of the sneaker where I was a bit let down. Don’t get me wrong, the New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio are not an uncomfortable pair of sneakers, but with nearly 2 inches of stuff between you and the ground I was expecting a bit more.
New Balance did really use three different densities of foam plus the rubber outsole, so I don’t think they were trying to save a buck. These must have been really bad before they tweaked the foams!
The other thing you’ll notice is the weight. These things are heavy. Heavier than some pairs of boots reviewed on this site. This doesn’t really bother me much since I’m constantly switching between sneakers, dress shoes, loafers, and boots, but it might bother you.
Ultimately, they mostly feel like a typical EVA-foam sneaker like you’d get for $45 at a department store. You’ll be fine wearing them all day, but don’t expect to be blown away.
Materials & Construction
Materials
The materials on the New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio are simply amazing for a sneaker from a mass produced brand.
Starting with the upper, the sneaker uses two primary materials – the off-white sections are a pig suede, and the while sections are a cow leather. Both of these are thick and natural. Better than what you get on any other New Balance I’ve seen. Honestly, these wouldn’t look out of place on a pair of stitched footwear.
You’ll also find leather lining the upper, though this is your more typical sneaker-type stuff. Still, an upgrade over what most sneakers have.
Elsewhere on the upper, mesh panels are polyester. Though, that isn’t a bad thing to use on a sneaker like this. Of course, you have a plastic heel cap on the back, along with a plastic welt along the edge of the upper.
Thick padding along the collar and in the insole keep your foot in place.
Moving to the middle of the sneaker, three different pieces of EVA foam make up the midsole. Totaling nearly an inch thick under your heel, these taper down to about a half inch under your toes.
Finally, I want to talk about the outsole. Subjectively, I love the ripple outsole. I just think it looks great. Objectively, though, this is a really impressive choice for New Balance. Not only is it going to be extremely durable, it is one of the most expensive outsoles available. It could easily be 50% of the material cost of the sneaker. Great choice by New Balance.
Construction
While the materials on the New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio are different than almost anything out there, the construction is much more standard. These sneakers are made using cemented construction. The short version is that after the upper is sewn, it’s glued to the midsole. If you’re looking for a longer explanation, click here.
Cemented construction is the standard way to make a modern sneaker. It offers great water resistance, the best flexibility, and is the most affordable way to make a pair of shoes. The primary drawback is resolability. It’s nearly impossible to repair this type of construction.
I would have talked about how this means that the upgraded materials on the upper are wasted, but I want to go back to the Vibram outsole. Due to the way it’s made, a cobber is likely going to be able to remove and replace the outsole on this pair of sneakers.
If the cost – likely close to $150 – is worth it on a pair that you can find for $130 makes sense is a different story. Still, it’s nice to know it’s an option.
One more item on construction. I’ve seen various websites list these as made in the USA. They are not. These are made in China alongside all the other 574s.
Pricing
The New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio retails for a price of $199 here in the United States. Obviously, that is a lot of money for a pair of sneakers. Especially for a pair that is made in China.
A non-special edition 574 can easily be found for under $50 at Joe’s New Balance Outlet, and even upgraded versions are typically under $80.
The good news is that if you’re not particularly picky about colorway, you can find these for less. At time of writing, you can find pairs for as low as $122 on eBay. Though, each colorway seems to follow a consistent pattern of being below retail after they launch and slowing climbing.
Are The New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio Worth It?
In my opinion, the New Balance 574 Tokyo Design Studio is worth buying, even at retail.
It all goes back to the materials – they are amazing. The leather on the upper wouldn’t be out of place on something higher end, and that outsole is more commonly found on $800 Vibergs than sneakers. This isn’t New Balance trying to pull a fast one on you, they are offering a premium product and charging for it.
The sneaker also offers a design that clearly had some thought put into it. Do I love every choice they made? No, that welt is a real draw back, but at least they are trying to push the boundaries. It feels like a sneaker that a fashion designer worked on.
If you’re on the fence about a pair, I’d seriously consider picking one up. I am still surprised by just how much I like these, and the have managed to land a spot in my regular rotation.