Back in the early 1970s, young men and women started riding their “klunker” paperboy bikes up and down the fire protection roads in the mountains of Marin County, California. It was here, mountain biking was born. With the steep, rocky and unforgiving nature of this new terrain, those trailblazers adopted Levi’s® denim as their uniform because of its durability, protection, and timeless style. Continuing their on-going relationship, Levi’s® and New Balance return with a new footwear collaboration inspired by these pioneers.
As a nod to mountain biking culture and Marin County, the latest collection utilizes durable Levi’s® fabrics on the classic New Balance MT580 silhouette. Originally launched in 1996, the newly reissued MT580 brings the iconic chunky silhouette back to life with RollBar-equipped trail design. The modernized look of a slimmed down toe and reduced collar height is combined with careful construction that faithfully recreates the original materials, compounds, and features. The MT580’s midsole features C-CAP in the forefoot and PU in the rearfoot, cushioning delivers durable support and flexibility. For enhanced support, it’s equipped with a RollBar stability post system to help control rear-foot movement. Lastly, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Levi’s® 501® jeans, the original template from which all other jeans have descended, each shoe is integrated with Levi’s® signature Shrink-To-Fit™ denim.
Inspired by the traditional aesthetic and styles of bikes from the era, the collaboration is offered in two distinct colorways. A Grey Blue version crafted with nubuck uppers, features overdyed Levi’s® denim on the toe box and side panel. Plus a Beige Black version crafted with hairy suede uppers, features washed black Levi’s® denim on the toe box and side panels. Delivered in special packaging that tells the story of the birth of mountain biking, each shoe features a classic Levi’s® Red Tab and comes with three sets of laces.
