South African sneaker boutique, Shelflife, and local designer, Dr.Z, have teamed up with international sneaker brand New Balance for a collaborative project: the New Balance x Shelflife x Dr.Z “City of Gold” 574.
Showcasing the best of the South Africa’s homeland to sneaker aficionados around the world, the New Balance “City of Gold” 574 draws design inspiration from South Africa’s largest metropolis, the city of Johannesburg, dubbed the “City of Gold” for its large-scale gold trade and wealth.
The graphics also make reference to the formidable “Parktown Prawn” king cricket. Specific to the Johannesburg region, the Parktown Prawn has grown into a cultural icon due to its aggressive nature and the urban legend of indestructibility.
Two additional design elements have been worked into the sneaker; with the yellow and grey colourway reflecting the colours of the local train system, as well as a stylized diamond symbol that mimics the graphics of traditional African tribal artworks.
Built with premium detailing and materials, the “City of Gold” 574 features a mix of mesh, nubuck, pigskin suede and reflective 3M heel panels. Further notable features include the yellow speckled sole, prawn graphic lace locks, yellow lace tips and variant branding on the heel.
Boasting a collection of premium extras, the “City of Gold” 574 package comes with two interchangeable velcro options for the ‘N’ logo, a spare pair of black laces, a canvas carry bag and a rubber prawn keying.
The New Balance x Shelflife x Dr.Z “City of Gold” 574 will release in South Africa, through Shelflife, on the 17th April 2014, with the global release date following soon after, on the 28th April 2014.
Watch the promotional video for the New Balance x Shelflife x Dr.Z “City of Gold” 574 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lOZQKYsOIA
