STYLE  02.06.23

Big Buzz

PHOTOGRAPHY: Jamie Lee Taete

WORDS: CHIARA MOIOLI

Even among experts and enthusiasts, few are aware that 1906 marked the birth of two legends, and that both have to do with feet: New Balance, and Bigfoot.

According to folklore, in September of that year the first sightings of Bigfoot—the mythical creature often described as a hairy, two-legged, mammoth-sized humanoid dwelling in the forests—were reported in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada; according to the facts, that very same month the shoe company New Balance was founded in Boston, Massachusetts.

Set in the Bigfoot Discovery Museum, a small museum located in Felton, California—run by enthusiasts and researchers to promote the exploration of the phenomenon through exhibits, artifacts, and educational materials—and shot by Jamie Lee Taete, who turned his lens toward the chimerical and humorous, Slam Jam’s editorial honors the utter connection between two entities sharing the same cult prominence in popular culture.

Bigfoot’s iconic ranking in pop imaginary spread by word-of-mouth, and the very same happened with New Balance, known to rely on its clientele’s positive word-of-mouth buzz as a significant driver of its success across global communities.

New Balance’s 1906R pays homage to the year the company was founded via an unapologetically retro silhouette characterized by a silver-dominant make-up in celebration of the proverbial running shoe look, as well as the model’s original colorway.

1906R has got a foot in the door of high end fashion, all signs pointing it to be the next big sneaker—its status so big it got Bigfoot covered.