The Whitaker Group’s New Balance Willful Bias For Education Collection Features a Made in USA 990v4 and 998

Published July 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM

The Whitaker Group x New Balance Willful Bias For Education Collection

While we’ve all become accustomed to Nike and Jordan Brand’s collaborations with The Whitaker Group, the retail conglomerate featuring A Ma Maniere, Social Status, APB, and more, they’ve also delved into projects with other partners. TWG has previously worked with New Balance on the 9060 Missing Pieces Collection and 1906U Willful Bias Pack, and they’re continuing this series under the Willful Bias For Education Collection, which contains a Made in USA 990v4 and a 998.

The campaign and collection come as part of The Whitaker Group’s Unwritten Curriculum series, a cultural exploration that highlights the real-world experiences shaping identity, style, and confidence beyond the classroom. At the center of the campaign is a cinematic short film set on a college campus during the final days of the semester. The story follows a charismatic student who finally meets someone immune to his smooth talk.

The Whitaker Group x New Balance 990v4 Made in USA Willful Bias For Education

While he sports the Made in USA 990v4, she confidently steps into the spotlight in the Made in USA 998, offering a counterbalance of composure and authenticity. The narrative unfolds with the support of his lively friend group, while a parallel story of two children, featuring the grade-school version of the 990v4, underscores how simple gestures of connection can outshine bravado.

Both sneakers in the collection follow a similar color palette, containing jade green hues as a nod to TWG’s newest storefront, JAIDE, a women-focused boutique. Starting with the 998, which somehow found its way to outlets earlier this year, we see hairy suede in this green shade on most of the upper, while cream, grey, and white hues contrast throughout.

The 990v4 follows a similar design with jade green hairy suede, a mesh base, and suede/leather overlays. Both pairs contain an insole graphic depicting Lady Justice removing her blindfold, a motif found on TWG’s previous NB projects.

The Whitaker Group’s New Balance Willful Bias For Education Collection will release on August 8, 2025, through The Whitaker Group storefronts, including JAIDE, A Ma Maniere, APB, and Social Status, online and in-store.

A raffle will take place from July 29 to August 4 through the aforementioned retailers' online. An early release at JAIDE will go down on August 7, at the Atlanta and Charlotte locations, and online. Check below for images of both pairs, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.