In this “New Normal,” retailer Bodega has gotten quite introspective, looking inward to uncover what is — to them — essential. Going as far as to cite The Epic of Gilgamesh, the imprint has embraced this idea of “going off the grid” and renouncing the city life that has become many of our own comforts. This concept, while explored to a different extent as the historic poem, is bled into the fibers of their newest New Balance collaboration: an X-Racer colorway that encapsulates the all-terrain, nomadic lifestyle they’re attempting to understand.

While on the exterior a clean colorway like that of its predecessors, the X-Racer approaches a style a bit more distinct. Rather than wholly attuned to lifestyle aesthetics, the model runs replete with earthy tones, bringing the dirt into an imaginative hiker that bridges the technical with retro 90s to early 2000s fashion. Uppers, which arrived composed of an array of different materials, lean towards function and purpose as it adopts ripstop, nylon webbing, and detachable tongue straps throughout. A sturdy suede runs adjacent, completing DIY themes that effectively patchwork together pieces of multiple environments.

Grab a detailed look at the pair right here, and if you’re interested in picking up a set for yourself, they’ll be available at bdgastore.com on Thursday, June 25th, at 10am ET.

In other news, a JJJJound New Balance 992 is in the works.

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