The New Balance 204L has been widely leaked and discussed, with Ronnie Fieg even teasing his Kith collaboration on the model that’s drawn Miu Miu comparisons, but not once has New Balance itself acknowledged the shoe’s existence publicly.
Now, the Boston-based brand is showing its hand by not only formally unveiling the sneaker, but doing so while introducing Rosalía as an official New Balance ambassador.
Rosalía in her debut campaign as a New Balance ambassador.
Rosalía’s New Balance debut comes through a five-part campaign intended to unfold like chapters in a film. In it, the pop star sets off on a journey from the New Balance headquarters to New York City, where she delivers a mysterious package, eventually shown to contain a painting of the New Balance x Rosalía logo. Throughout, she wears the 204L, a new lifestyle sneaker with a thin sole apropos of trends launching in July.
“My love for fashion and design has only grown over the years,” Rosalía said in a press release. “I’ve always been a fan of New Balance, and that’s why working with the brand is especially exciting for me. I love how New Balance has brought sport and culture closer together in recent years and I couldn’t be more excited and grateful to be an ambassador.”
Rosalía at New Balance’s Boston headquarters.
Rosalía joins a roster of New Balance celebrity ambassadors that includes Storm Reid, Aminé, Jack Harlow and Action Bronson, as well as athletes including Shohei Ohtani, Coco Gauff, Cooper Flagg and Kawhi Leonard.
Through the ’90s and ’00s, New Balance largely avoided endorsements, even running with the slogan “Endorsed by No One.” That policy is now long gone, with deals having been cut with some of the best athletes in their respective sports over the past decade, in addition to musicians and actors, to break the historical precedent of only athletes representing sports brands.
A close-up of the forthcoming New Balance 204L.
“Rosalía reflects the celebration of independence that the New Balance brand has represented since 1906,” Chris Davis, New Balance brand president and chief marketing officer, said. “We are honored to welcome her into our family with the goal of personifying her creativity, unique individuality, and courage to defy convention. Rosalía is much more than a globally renowned cultural icon. She doesn’t follow trends, she creates them. Together, we will rewrite the rules through a coauthored strategy focusing on product and storytelling — being atypical is what unites us.”