New Balance x Bleue Burnham: The 991v1 Gets a Wild Garden Update

The New Balance 991v1 has become a particularly useful canvas for collaborations, and the latest comes from an unexpected but increasingly natural pairing: New Balance and London jewellery designer Bleue Burnham.

Following The Flimby Garden, the permanent garden Burnham created for employees at New Balance’s Made in UK factory in Cumbria, the second chapter translates that project into footwear.

The 991v1 is presented in brown pigskin suede, with the familiar structured construction interrupted by hand-applied ‘wild garden’ stitching. Rather than following a uniform pattern, each stitch is applied freely, meaning the detailing varies from pair to pair.

That distinction matters on a silhouette as recognisable as the 991v1. The model, originally introduced in 2001, already has a strong visual identity; Burnham’s intervention adds texture without obscuring the underlying New Balance design.

The collaboration also retains a clear connection to Flimby. New Balance has manufactured its Made in UK footwear at the factory since 1982, with the 991 becoming one of the line’s defining models.

Monty Don returns for the campaign, having previously featured in content around The Flimby Garden. His involvement neatly connects the garden project with the trainer without turning the shoe into a novelty gardening piece.

The brown suede 991v1 launched in September, exclusively through Bleue Burnham. A black premium-grain leather version is scheduled for December 2026, extending the collaboration into a more straightforward winter wardrobe territory.