Styling the New Balance 983: The Next Evolution of Abzorb

New Balance might have just created its most interesting new silhouette of 2026.

The New Balance 983 doesn’t look like a typical release from the Boston brand. It’s not a Made in USA classic, a familiar tech runner, or a play-it-safe update to an existing favourite. Instead, it takes inspiration from New Balance’s early-00s archive running era and rebuilds these ideas into something that feels completely new.

At first glance, it looks almost alien. But in the best possible way.

The proportions are unlike anything else currently in the New Balance line-up, with a heavily sculpted midsole that feels more futuristic than anything we’ve seen from the brand before. Even the 9060, which helped push New Balance towards more exaggerated lifestyle silhouettes, feels slightly more reserved by comparison.

The 983 takes that idea further.

Over the past few years, New Balance has become one of the most exciting brands when it comes to creating standout midsole designs. Rather than simply relying on archive retros, the brand has started experimenting with shapes that feel genuinely new.

The ABZORB 2000 introduced a more futuristic approach to cushioning, while the 9060 helped bring exaggerated early-2000s running influences into a completely new lifestyle shape.

Unlike some recent New Balance releases, the 983 doesn’t feel like a direct revival of one forgotten archive model. Instead, it takes the language of early-2000s runners and reshapes it into something completely new.

The 983 feels like the next step in that direction.

At the centre of the design is one of the shoe’s biggest talking points: the oversized elliptical ABZORB SBS cushioning pods. They are impossible to miss, becoming a major part of the sneaker’s visual identity rather than something hidden underneath the upper.

The upper follows the same approach.

Glossy synthetic overlays wrap around an open mesh base, with rounded panels creating a layered, technical look. The glossy finish is not something we usually associate with New Balance, until recently that is. Think 5030, 1890, 2000 etc.

Combined with the Shadow Blue colourway, darker mesh sections and translucent cushioning details, the 983 feels unlike many New Balance releases that have come before it.

There is a lot happening here, but that’s also what makes it stand out.

Why the New Balance 983 works

The first reaction to the 983 will probably be that it looks like its from the future. And honestly, that’s exactly what we thought at first.

The sole is sculpted, the proportions are exaggerated, and the upper has a level of detail you don’t usually see.

But once you get them on foot and bring them into a fit, they really start to hit.

Despite the futuristic shape, they’re still incredibly comfortable. The ABZORB SBS cushioning gives them that familiar New Balance feel, and the fit is true to size. They also actually much easier to style than expected.

And that’s probably the biggest success of the 983.

It’s a sneaker that grabs attention, looks good but also brings that comfort you expect.

Styling the New Balance 983

The 983 already has a lot going on. The layered upper, glossy panels and oversized ABZORB SBS pods give it a very technical, almost futuristic feel, so we wanted the outfit to balance that rather than compete with it.

We paired the Shadow Blue colourway with a baggy skirt to play with the proportions of the sneaker. The exaggerated shape of the midsole actually works really well with something looser and more relaxed.

The mustard yellow jacket breaks up all the blue, adding a warmer contrast against the cooler tones of the sneaker, while the cute socks bring in a softer, more playful detail that stops the fit feeling too serious.

That contrast is what makes the 983 work. It looks like a sneaker that should be difficult to style, but the right pieces actually make the shape stand out even more and keep it centre stage.

The future of the New Balance 983

The OG Shadow Blue colourway feels a solid intro to the 983.

With more colourways expected later in October, it will be interesting to see how far New Balance takes the design. We’ve seen other colourways floating around socials but for us, this first release is definitely the standout so far.

The classics will always have their place, but this is the side of New Balance that’s the most exciting right now.

Shop the New Balance 983 direct from New Balance.