When elderly runners are your bread and butter, simplicity is a good thing. That's been a winning strategy for New Balance, the daddy of all dad shoes, for a while now. And despite Dover Street Market's avant-cool factor, its New Balance's 991 sneaker in "Triple-Black" is more of an on-brand continuation of NB's less-is-more approach.

Dover Street Market's black-on-black-on-black New Balance sneaker is equipped with many of the standard hallmarks of a 991, including the "Made in England" tongue branding, though one of the heels  wears a DSM stamp instead. The DSM NB 991 is a standard sneaker through and through.

DSM is, of course known for offering extreme fashion from COMME des GARÇONS and Rick Owens .

Crazy luxury goods are cool and all, but staple items like the all-black New Balance 991 sneakers are the kind of thing you wanna keep in rotation for years, regardless of whatever flat or chunky sneakers are trending at the moment.

In this regard, it's nice to see DSM flex its "basic" muscle and show it can do simple things just as well as eclectic things. 

New Balance’s 991was the perfect canvas for DSM’s display of simplicity since it exists right in the middle of the thick and thin sneaker zeitgeist.

It's not too big, not too small. It's just a blessedly average sneaker that doesn't have to do the most to be great.

 The 991 is a beaut in pretty much all colorways. Just take a look at the creamy latte-flavored New Balance 991 "Delicioso" or any of its crisp beige iterations. But there's just something about a pair of all-black sneakers that can't be beat.

They're classic, sleek and, above all else, extremely wearable. No one understands the understated power of an inky stomper quite like DSM. From glow-in-the-dark Nike Vomeros to trail-equipped Salomon XT-6 sneakers, the fashion retailer has a knack for bringing some muted monochrome pizzazz to already stylish sneakers.

The 991 is just the latest shoe to fall in line.