When David Harbour goes sneaker shopping, he gravitates towards silhouettes with a decidedly functional bent. (Harbourheads might remember the actor’s 2022 campaign with the hardcore running brand Brooks.) But on the press junket promoting Thunderbolts*, the latest sure-to-be-smash entrant in the MCU, Harbour just can’t get enough of the New Balance 991v2, a legendary sneaker with equal pedigree among retirees and their teenage grandkids.
As its name indicates, the 991v2 is the sequel to the genre-defining 991, one of New Balance’s all-time best silhouettes. The second edition made its grand debut in 2023 with a flashy Stone Island collaboration, and the Boston footwear juggernaut has been busy churning out worthy follow-ups ever since.
What, exactly, makes the New Balance 991v2 so popular? Simple: It looks good and feels great. The mesh base keeps your feet cool and dry during the warmer months, while the premium leather and suede overlays prevent the look from veering too hard into ‘summer BBQ’ territory. Oh, and the reflective 3M accents throughout mean you can, in fact, flex your new kicks in the dark if you really want to.
All of that aesthetic mumbo jumbo is really just a bonus, though. Because the midsole is infused with New Balance’s signature Encap cushioning for crazy levels of comfort, and equipped with Abzorb SBS pods to make your stride even bouncier. Those types of specs are typically reserved for the brand’s most advanced running shoes, so even though the 991v2 isn’t specifically engineered to crush a 10K, it could probably do it without breaking a sweat.
Best of all, the 991v2 is one of a few New Balance silhouettes made in England, on the rolling hills of Flimby, Cumbria, where the brand owns a factory responsible for some of the hottest sneakers on the planet. So, ultimately, are we surprised that David Harbour loves ’em? Certainly not. Because as soon as you lace up a pair you will, too.
This story originally appeared on British GQ.