Concepts is Teaming Up with New Balance to Launch the Gator Run Early

The New Balance Gator Run is the latest silhouette from the Boston-based sportswear brand, taking on the low-profile retro runner trend with a new gator-skin clad silhouette that’s equal parts classy and fast. Debuting the shoe with a little extra hometown energy, New Balance is teaming up with legendary Boston-based sneaker boutique Concepts to drop the shoe a week before its global release.

We got a look at the first two colorways of the New Balance Gator Run last week, with official NB images of a scaly brown pair and a monochrome black version, both with white laces and a black sole. Now, with Concepts taking over debut duties, the shop gives us a closer look at the new model with an editorial shoot featuring a model wearing the brown pair in a tropical paradise, escaping Boston’s harsh winter.

“The Gator Run thrives where restraint meets expression, balancing technical roots with an unconventional attitude that feels distinctly CNCPTS,” the Boston boutique wrote about the shoe. “It’s a silhouette that moves comfortably between the street and a more elevated setting - never loud, but impossible to ignore.”

The New Balance Gator Run will be available January 16, 2026 through Concepts in-store and online, with a global release through New Balance and select retailers to follow on January 21, 2026. For all the latest New Balance news and drop info, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com