First introduced back in 1982, New Balance has delved back into the archives to bring updates to the iconic Rainier. The silhouette owes it's name to Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma, a large active stratovolcano across the pond in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the US after an incident back in the 80s whilst scaling the tall feat.
The Rainier was crafted upon the advice of well know mountain expert Lou Whittaker. Following an accident whilst scaling the Stratovolcano, Lou praised his lightweight & breathable trainers he was wearing, however wasn't too impressed with the lack of supporting grip they provided. From here he got his idea for a trainer-boot hybrid that would combine the best of both worlds, something at the time not readily available and took it to New Balance owner Jim Davis - and in 1982 the New Balance Rainier Boot was born.
The outcome was just as envisaged, a boot with a lightweight trainer like construction. The uppers housed a mesh base which offered breathability, while a leather or suede outer panel protected the wearer from rocks and rubble. Metal eyelets were also used to provide secure lace fastening, similarly to hiking boots, whilst the rubber sole provided far better traction compared to the trainers used to scale Rainier.
The model proved popular and only two years after its creation, it was used to summit the worlds tallest mountain point - Everest. Similar to other popular New Balance models that have been brought back from the archives, like the 550, the Rainier was reborn via a collaboration with Aim_ Leon Dore back in 2022 - which went down a storm as all their collabs do.
Since then the Rainier has become a mainstay in New Balance's collections, remaining true to the rest of the OG construction with functional updates such as adding a Vibram sole, Leather and rugged nylon/mesh canvas uppers & an external heel counter. Shop the latest Rainier & our full New Balance collection below, available online & in-store now at Stuarts London.