New Balance 1906L: The Perfect Loafer?
Initial thoughts on the sneaker-loafer hybrid that took the internet by storm.
In pursuing my “personal” style, I often find myself at odds between sticking my neck out to explore new things and sticking to safer options. While I value seeing what exists, in an effort to see if some new fad is going to convert to a meaningful part of my aesthetic, I also don’t want to be stuck with something I despite after a few months, especially if it’s of significant cost.
And yet somehow, I am enamored with the New Balance 1906L.
Growing up, my family was a “New Balance” family. Each time we needed shoes we’d find our chosen number - usually the 530 or something similar on sale - and I’d lament people who were wearing Nike or Adidas. The primary concerns were function and afforadbility, and while I wore Nike and Reebok later on, I ultimately came back around to embrace the New Balance lifestyle.
While I liked wearing sneakers with more “traditional” clothing, I rarely enjoyed attempts to make sneakers dressy, often finding the results to be neither functional nor attractive (like driver loafers or certain other sneaker loafers). As with many things, Junya Watanabe helped making them palatable.
Junya Watanabe Man A/W 2024, as usual for the designer (both with Comme des Garcons and his eponymous brand) took traditional clothing - blazers, jeans, etc. - and gently pushed their bounds by rendering them in odd fabrics, narrowing lapels and lengthening hems. His work is often a source of inspiration and, while this was a little dark for my tastes, I enjoyed the show, especially the sneaker-loafer hybrid made in collaboration with New Balance:
As I became more comfortable with dressing distinctly, I also tentatively started to see how viable owning and wearing these were. I knew I wanted the silver pair over Watanabe’s white or black, wanting to embrace the fact I was wearing something sneaker adjacent, but neither stockx nor Ebay nor proxy sites were cooperative. While limited, I did find people wearing these out in the wild, which helped solidify these as an actual viable shoe.
Nonetheless, finding a pair was difficult - either the sizing was off or the price was bad or they lacked the silver pair - though with a little Mercari Japan luck, I managed to find a pair. There weren’t any half sizes available, and thus I rolled the dice on a size US 10, a full size down from the usual. As the days ticked until arrival, my concerns about if they fit my feet were replaced with concerns of if they fit my life, and potentially wasting time and money on something frivolous.
My initial thoughts were cautious optimism. The one negative is in its sizing; I’m a size 11 US/44.5 EU but could only reliably find size 10/44 (and in some instances this wasn’t even a guarantee; I had a couple of Mercari buys that were reversed upon finding out the shoes were already sold). In my opinion, they’re pleasantly snug on the foot but the extra toe room would be nice.
Otherwise there are plenty of positives. The build quality is similar to the standard New Balance 1906 series, the 2002R or 860v2. Toe tightness aside, they are comfortable on the rest of the feet. Ironically the snug fit makes these conducive for quick sprints, as I ended up doing one day to catch a departing train. I wouldn’t do anything athletic in them - that’s why Salomon XT-6s exist - but they’re good for short bursts of physical activity.
Aesthetically, I was surprised to find they weren’t that shiny, which made for an easy transition from suede sneakers. The cream sole has retained its color even after several days of use, and the design is relatively understated, particularly in the upper. With suitable styling you could wear these in a wide range of styles, especially in summer, though I think the key is to embrace their roots as a sneaker-loafer hybrid.
Once I got over the initial shock, I found the 1906Ls felt like any other pair of sneakers or any other pair of loafers (albeit tight) and didn’t really garner any negative attention in public - for perspective I live in a major metro area but not a reliably fashion-forward one like New York.
I had a number of conversations about these in real life, mostly to the effect of “you’re the first person I’ve seen wearing them outside of Instagram”, and I suspect it’s partly the lack of availability but also the potential risk without any tangible evidence they will be worthwhile. So far I found them to be comfortable (minus some self-inflicted tightness), well made, and surprisingly versatile despite being a sneaker loafer hybrid. I wouldn’t call these a daily rider, and at $160 a pair, it may be a gamble for some, but I think the hype on thethe 1906Ls have exceeded my expectations, and I’m glad I took the leap.
Thanks for reading! I’m not typically a product reviewer so I appreciate your time if you got to this point.
If you have any other questions or comments on the NB 1906L, feel free to leave a comment - I’m still figuring these shoes out so I’m sure it’ll help. Follow me on Instagram to see more short-form content, and subscribe through the link below to be updated when new posts go live.