Review: New Balance 327 Pride M327PRD
New Balance knows runners (or trainers depending on where you’re from). They’ve been making them for so long, that even their retro runners are back in style, some may argue they never left.
This year New Balance has combined two of their older models, the 320 and 355, to create the 327 silhouette. And what a silhouette it is, it’s polarising but if you like it, there’s loads of colourways coming out this year. But right now, we’re checking out the colourful M327PRD which New Balance created to celebrate LGBTQ communities and Pride month.
The Specs
| Brand | New Balance |
| Model | M327PRD |
| Colour | Rainbow |
| Retail Price | $150 AUD (~ $102USD) |
| Size Reviewed | US10 |
| Fit | True to sneaker size (runs slightly long) |
| Upper Material | 61% Nylon Mesh / 39% Pig Suede |
| Sole | Rubber |
| Lining | Nylon |
| Laces | Cotton |
| Made | China |
The Look
Love it or hate it, the New Balance 327 oozes retro styling but still looks modern. Personally I love it.
The upper made of nylon and multicoloured suede panels is bright and fun. These panels create design opportunities for both New Balance and other companies (via collaboration) to put their own twist on the look of the sneaker. The oversized N-logo is slightly off-white, which ties nicely into the off-white midsole, this is a nice subtle design touch.
The brown rubber outsole, with it’s octopus sucker-like grip pattern wraps from the top box, along the bottom of the shoe and high up the back heel. Awesome. It does give Nike Tailwind or Nike Daybreak vibes, but way more exaggerated, and I like it.
Looking at how the sole aggressively tapers into the mid foot, then out towards the forefoot is one of my favourite things about the shoe.
My least favourite part is that there are construction and quality control issues, glue marks and stitching issues aren’t rare on this pair. Not a huge deal at this price point, but know that you’re getting a shoe Made in China, not Made in US or UK.
Pairing this sneaker with a subdued outfit is probably the way to go, although going all out with a multicoloured fit for the Gram will probably get you a bunch of serotonin hits.
The Feel
The 327 is not the most comfortable shoe around, there’s no cushiony cloud like pillow for your feet to squish onto, no New Balance Fresh Foam, no Adidas Boost, no Nike React.
There’s also not much in the way of support either, it is a lifestyle shoe after all. If you were looking for a retro runner to run with, this isn’t it.
The best thing about shoe on foot is that it’s pretty light, the upper material is quite thin, so wearing it casually on a day out is no problem at all.
I found the sizing pretty true to my sneaker size, it ran slightly long, probably due to the silhouette. People with slightly wider feet would be fine to go with their usual size, while others with narrow feet could probably go down a half size. But as always, try to try them on before buying.
Is it Affordable?
Totally, it’s a pretty inexpensive lifestyle shoe. If you’re on the love-it part of the train, definitely get on board when you see a colour way you like. If you’re on the hate-it part of the train, feel free to give it a miss.
Yes, the collabs are more expensive and are definitely hard to get, but there are loads of colours coming out this year, which means that you’re likely to find one you like which is easy to pick up.
