In case it has gone noticed, we’re suckers for a good dad shoe. We’re not talking high-fashion attempts to appropriate the dad shoe, we’re talking sturdy shoes that dads all over the world would be proud to lace up and run banal errands in all day long.

In that realm, nobody does it like New Balance. But even within the New Balance collection, some dad shoes are more grown up than their peers. Take the New Balance 509, for example, which epitomizes the category.

This pair ticks every box. From the chunky sole unit to a breathable mesh upper, and a general sense of understated practicality, the New Balance 509 is the blueprint of a successful dad shoe.

Of course, this silhouette originates in the early 2000s, but it was brought back to the New Balance line-up in 2024 with a newly techy outlook.

It’s the latest colorway that’s put it on our radar. This gray masterpiece features a grey midsole, light-grey mesh upper, and a striking dark-grey cage which extends up to the heel.

But while this pair certainly appeals to the dad-shoe fanatics, it’s also already caught the eye of COMME des GARÇONS, treating it to a signature tonal collaboration at the end of 2025.

This is a sure sign that the New Balance 509 is destined for greatness. If it’s good for 2000s dads and Rei Kawakubo, then it’s doing something right.

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