New Balance's Most Iconic Dad Shoe Loses Its Logo

Double Tap to ZoomSneakersMfpen Stripped New Balance's Best Dad ShoeNew Balance is erasing its dad shoe legacy, well, part of it anyway.In collaboration with Copenhagen-based menswear brand Mfpen, New Balance has stripped Steve Jobs' favorite dad shoe of all its glory, and the results are curiously sublime. Dad shoe heaven reaches its zenith with the New Balance 992, the paragon of elderly dad shoes.With its humdrum symphony of grayscale mesh and suede, clunky dad shoe profile, and unobtrusive disposition, the 992 crawled its way from mid-aughts obscurity and onto the feet of some of fashion's finest. Like, a one Steve Jobs who couldn't get enough of the blissfully bland sneaker. Yes, Mr. Jobs was a fashion icon, and he had the Issey Miyake catalog to back it up.Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.Now as New Balance's hero dad shoe turns 20, Mfpen is stripping it down even more.Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.It can be hard to justify taking anything away from such an already toned-down sneaker. But by removing the signature "N" logo that occupies the midfoot of just about every iteration of New Balance's 992, Mfpen gives the sneaker a higher-fashion composition. Where the classic "N" logo should be, there's just a faint shadow of an "N" that kinda looks like someone ripped the logo off by hand. Artisanal! This branded absence gives the sneaker a runway-esque aura that's delightfully reminiscent of the big, bold Balenciaga sneaker era that dominated the better part of the mid-2010s. And when you think about it, it is about time for 2016 fashion trends to make their first decennial orbit. In that, Mfpen's pared-down 992, despite being 20 years old, is still delightfully of the times.Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit HS Shopping and subscribe to Shopper for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.We RecommendNew Balance Just Made the Rolls Royce of Normcore SneakersNew Balance’s England-Made Dad Sneaker Gets Its RosesFrom New Balance to Nike, the Seven Best Sneakers to Cop This WeekNew Balance’s Slimmest Sneaker Gets BusyALD's Beautiful Blue New Balance Dad Shoe Goes the DistanceWhat To Read NextWho Knew Arc’teryx Jackets Would Make Such Beautiful Bags?New Balance's Most Iconic Dad Shoe Loses Its LogoRoad Tripping Through Seven Cities With Carrera and CompanyYour Workout Wardrobe Could Use a Fall Pick-Me-UpHow Eric Wareheim Went from Comedy Star to Los Angeles’ Plant Guruadidas Proves That Miu Miu’ing a Samba Is All It Takes