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Salehe Bembury x New Balance 1500 Made in England Growth Be The Tree
Salehe Bembury x New Balance 1500 Made in England Growth Be The Tree
Culture Note™
Origin
Released on 6 February 2025 and part of the 1500 line. This release has a suede upper in Olive/Grey. Made in England is the part of this shoe that carries the weight. New Balance opened a UK factory at Workington in 1982 and moved it to Flimby in 1991, and Made in UK has been used as a product signature in its own right ever since, stamped on tongue badges and priced accordingly. The 1500 is one of the shapes most associated with that factory. Growth, Be The Tree is the Salehe Bembury collaboration layered on top, a title that reads as an instruction rather than as a colourway, and the code U1500SB marks it. Putting a designer's hand on a British made archive runner is this company at its most confident, since neither half needs the other to justify it.
Utility
Two ways to wear it. Slim straight dark denim with a Harrington jacket and a plain knit is the terrace lineage version, and the 1500's compact shape suits a narrower trouser far better than the brand's chunkier runners do. Or grey pleated trousers with a navy overshirt for the smarter reading, where the shoe passes as considered rather than sporty. Wear it for dry days, walking and weekends. Buy true to length and use the width fittings, since UK made lasts feel precise rather than generous. Brush suede or nubuck panels dry with a suede brush, protect them before first wear, avoid water entirely, and keep the midsole clean because a compact shoe looks worn out fast if the sole is grubby.
Influence
The Made in England 99x and 15xx shoes had a life of their own in British terrace and casual dressing, a parallel culture to the American dad shoe story that ran through the same decades without needing any of the same references. That is the tradition a UK made 1500 sits inside. New Balance's collaborations, meanwhile, have always been built on designers and independents rather than mass celebrity, from Aime Leon Dore, whose founder Teddy Santis was appointed creative director of Made in USA in April 2021, to Paul Smith on a 576 in June 2018 and Action Bronson across several models.
Construction
Two things define this build. The first is where it was made, since the Flimby factory serves Europe and Made in UK production is one of the signatures New Balance charges for, which shows up in material selection and finishing rather than in any spec sheet claim. The second is the collaborator's edit, which on a shape as compact and well known as the 1500 usually happens through colour, texture and material contrast rather than through structural change. Underfoot, the house has split structural support from shock absorption since ENCAP arrived with the 995 in 1986, a polyurethane rim around a soft foam core. Expect a lower, more precise runner than the brand's modern bulk silhouettes, and expect the fit to reward getting the width right.
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Most asked questions
How we always
Guarantee the best prices?
Luxury marketplace
In luxury marketplaces, prices depend on demand — less popular items sell below retail.
Competition between sellers
Our 5,000+ verified sellers compete with each other, giving you the lowest prices.
Price comparison
We show you price comparisons across sellers so you always get better deals.
Helping sellers, helping you
We help sellers buy smarter inventory, so they can offer you better prices.
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