New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 “Blue Yellow”
Price: $150 [SOLD OUT; Check eBay for Current Prices]
Why Buy?
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 Blue Yellow offers a unique design and good level of comfort, along with a great ordering process.
Why Avoid?
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 has a fairly high resale price, and isn’t as comfortable as some other New Balance models.
Specs
| Model | 860v2 |
| Height | Low Top |
| Material | Poly / Nylon / EVA |
| Size | 13 |
| Weight | 320g / 11.3 oz |
| Construction | Cemented |
| Country of Origin | Vietnam |
History
New Balance’s connection with the brand Aime Leon Dore (technically Aimé Leon Dore) runs deep. Teddy Santis, who founded ALD, is also the creative director of New Balance’s made in USA line. Even before they were officially connected, there were countless collabs and ALD-exclusive colorways of New Balance sneakers.
The most recent is what we’re looking at today. The third iteration of the Aime Leon Dore 860v2, this time in the “blue yellow” colorway. This is the brightest of the three most recent pairs – joined by a tonal red pair and white/green pair. Not that the naming scheme is helpful here. These are technically the “blue” colorway. However, this is the 2nd sneaker to be called the ALD 860v2 within the past 2 years, so most have started to use “blue yellow.”
However, while the collaboration is interesting, actually getting a hold of these sneakers is even more so. Let’s dive in and talk about the New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 “Blue Yellow.”
Ordering Process
At 100wears I don’t often talk about the sneaker buying process. We’ve all been doing the same thing for years – you go on an app or website, try to buy a pair, an inevitably don’t get them. You then go on Reddit or Instagram and complain that they should just allow everyone to order a pair before they start production to make sure everyone who wants a pair gets a pair.
Well, that’s exactly what the New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2’s did. Back in summer of 2024, anyone who wanted to was able to pre-order whichever colorway they liked. Technically there was a limited number of sneakers available, but they didn’t hit that cap.
Of course, people are never happy. People complained that 7 months was too long and they wouldn’t know if the 2000’s runner trend will still be around. I guess you can’t please everyone.
Still, I want to include this in order to give credit to this style of launch. Not only does it mean that everyone who wants a pair is able to get one, but to flag ALD didn’t just take your money and run. I received regular updates – when the campaign closed, when they secured the materials, entered production, finished, and shipped. More companies should do this for special releases.
Looks
Upper
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 in the Blue Yellow colorway has a LOT going on. You begin with a fairly subtle base – a blue mesh that runs the entire length of the sneaker – but build on it substantially from there.
Across the sneaker, black, yellow, and silver bands provide the majority of the structure for the sneaker. These are further accented by a blue/yellow/red toe guard and silver and blue eyelet panels. The large “N” on the side is red, yellow, and silver – matching the rear panels.
Speaking of the rear, the ALD flower logo can be found dead center on the back of the sneaker. Not that it’s easy to see since its silver printed on yellow.
The interior of the sneaker is a bright, bold neon yellow and the tongue is white and blue. Aime Leon Dore logos replace the New Balance logo on both the tongue and the insole. Don’t worry, though, the N is still visible on plastic panel at the bottom of the tongue.
All of this combine into an upper that I wouldn’t say is cohesive, but is clearly designed with some thought.
Mid- and Outsole
Not to be outdone, the bottom half of the New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 is equally bright.
Sharing the same outsole as the 2002R and other sneakers, to make the ALD 860v2 stand out, ALD opted for a bunch of different colors.
The primary color is a cream, but even from the side there are additional changes. Directly under the ball of your foot is a mint green silver. More noticeable, though, is the red gel under the heel. Unlike other brands, New Balance typically uses a cloudy and matte material for their gel. Almost like candy that has been sitting out for a few years longer than it should.
Peaking out the side is the bright yellow torsion plate (“stability web” in NB marketing terms) – a plate that continues down onto the bottom of the sneaker.
Speaking of the bottom, while the majority is black rubber, both bright blue and bright red rubber panels give the outsole a lot of pop.
Summary
Let’s take a quick recap here of the colors on the New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2. We have: Blue, Yellow, Red, White, Silver, and Mint. Really, there are two different reds and two different yellows. That is a lot. If you want something more wearable, the other two colorways are going to be a better option for you.
However, if you want a more subtle 860v2, there are about a dozen options that cost half as much as the ALD versions.
There is something undeniably 2000’s running sneaker about these. So much so that they don’t feel like a modern reinterpretation. Instead, they feel like they were pulled directly off the kid who was wearing them in 2003.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 fits extremely similar to other New Balance models that use this outsole such as the 2002R and the 1906. Though, I should add the upper on these is a bit slimmer and the use of plastics instead of leather means it will be less forgiving.
I believe that most people will want to go with their standard sneaker size. However, if you like a tighter fit and find other non-MiUSA New Balances are already close to being small, you might find these overly constrictive and would want to consider going up a half size.
Thankfully, while you are not going to be able to find this specific colorway in stores, most sneaker stores will have some variation of the 860v2 on the shelf. You can try a different colorway and order the right size afterwards.
I took these in my standard sneaker size of 13, and believe that’s the right fit.
Comfort
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 is a running shoe at its core. Not only that, it’s a running shoe from New Balance’s comfort-first era. This isn’t going to be an uncomfortable shoe.
That being said, like all of my reviews from this era of sneaker, the plastic panels do hold the sneaker back. These panels just don’t have the flexibility of suede or leather, or the one to one fit of modern woven sneakers. They can also bend in ways that result in hot spots on the sneaker.
This particular pair isn’t as bad as something like Asics from the same era, but if you’re looking for max comfort, the 2002R and 1906 will be slightly better.
Still, people wore these while running marathons less than 20 years ago. You’ll be fine wearing them all day.
Materials & Construction
Materials
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 is a 2000’s runner, with all the good and bad that comes from that.
The upper is 100% man-made materials. Basically, plastics. Don’t expect a ton of durability from them. However, this isn’t a sneaker that’s supposed to be the best materials you can find in 2025. It’s a sneaker that is supposed to be a retro. You know what you’re getting into here.
The midsole of this sneaker is made almost entirely of EVA foam, called Nergy. EVA is the most common type of foam in modern sneakers, and offers a good balance of squish and energy return. The midsole also contains a bit of what New Balance calls Abzorb pods. These pods, which are the red candy looking part in the back, is a mixture of rubber and foam, is a bit more durable an EVA for use in high wear areas.
Between the midsole foam and the outsole rubber is the torsion plate made of plastic. New Balance uses a surprisingly thick piece of plastic for this sneaker. Way thicker than what you would find in something like an Ultraboost. It should do a good job of providing some rigidity.
The outsole of the 860v2 is a fairly thick layer of rubber. There is little to complain about here other than maybe some extra weight. The outsole should be extremely durable. Your midsole foam will probably have gone hard before the rubber wears out.
Construction
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 uses cemented construction. Or, in other words, the upper is sewn together and the glued directly to the midsole. This is, by far, the most common way to make a sneaker in 2025. It offers great flexibility and weather resistance – plus is the cheapest way to make a shoe.
As far as draw backs, it’s extremely hard to replace the mid or outsole of the sneaker. It’s not impossible, but expect to pay way more than the shoe cost originally. That’s if you can find a donor pair.
Pricing & Value
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 originally came in at a price of $150. Though, as mentioned above, they were pre order only and are no longer available.
It’s hard to find what they are going for on the resale market. On Goat they are listed for between $300-800 at time of writing. Over on eBay there are a few pairs for $275, but only in limited sizing. StockX doesn’t even have them as an option.
However, I have not seen anything to show any of the pairs have actually sold for these amounts. It’s entirely possible these prices could drop since it doesn’t appear anyone is buying. Or, they could follow the trend of other ALD 860v2 and go up.
Wrap Up
The New Balance x Aime Leon Dore 860v2 in the Blue Yellow colorway is a bright and bold take on the 2000’s runner trend. While prices are probably higher than they should be on the resale market, I still have to give New Balance and ALD credit. If you really wanted these sneakers, it was extremely easy to get a pair at MSRP.
These sneakers are not going to be the easiest to style. Indeed, just about every other colorway – including other options within this pack – will be easier. However, if your goal is to make a statement or to have a pair that you pull out for more special occasions, these are going to be hard to beat.