Last week between the 26th to the 28th June, the New Balance World Tour landed itself in Liverpool to celebrate the global release of the new and updated lifestyle trainer, the 247v2 which dropped on the 30th June. With Liverpool being the former European Capital of Culture, New Balance held a series of events which definitely showcased the creative art and music scene alongside the football culture. With a historic ferry ride down the River Mersey to a visit to the Lost Art shop and an AAA tour around Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium, we all knew we were in for a trip of a life time, and I was there to get the scoop on it all!
Arriving on the Tuesday to what was once part of the life blood of the thriving Port of Liverpool, the historic Titanic Hotel, guests were greeted in their rooms with the New Balance and Lost Art collaboration t-shirts and a “Life In 247” welcome pack which had a thorough itinerary of what was about to go down over the next couple days and boy did it look exciting! A welcome dinner was held within the private dining room which invited guests from the likes of media brands, influencers and the NB sneaker community to get social, eat and drink the night away before we all set off for the main event day on the Wednesday. Not forgetting, everyone got their very own pair of the New Balance 247v2 which of course, didn’t take long for people to try on and test them out.
The New Balance new 247 design combines the craftsmanship, technology and fit that New Balance is legendary for and offers the versatility necessary for the modern style seeker and their on-the-go lifestyle. The comfort levels of this trainer reach beyond content which can be down to its sprung sock construction that keep your feet snug and secure within the trainer, alongside it’s flared rear/midfoot area and its innovative foam compound, providing the same responsiveness and durability as New Balance foams are 30% heavier. Knowing I had a busy agenda the following day, these were by far the perfect trainer to wear knowing you won’t be getting achy feet as the trainer offers a lightweight ride with underfoot cushioning and stability engaging its engineered mesh upper for ultimate comfort.
With everyone all kitted out in their New Balance gear, the following morning saw the start of the Liverpool 24/7 tour. With a New Balance branded double decker bus being our ride for the day, the first stop of the tour was a sightseeing cruise down the Mersey River which passed main city attractions and really took a shine upon the culture of Liverpool. I don’t know whether it’s only me, but I was extremely excited for this ferry tour as firstly, the only ferry I’ve every been on in my life was from Dover to Calais and secondly, a ferry in Liverpool!?! That’s definitely something new for me (haha)! A nice touch of New Balance was inputted on the ferry with a branded flag sailing in the wind and a welcome announcement to greet the team once arrived board (which was a very cute touch!).
With the tour in full swing, we headed over to the legendary skate shop Lost Art to check out the new collaboration with New Balance and to dig into some of the best pizza’s I’ve ever tried from the Nightcrawler Pizza restaurant. The Lost Art shop showcased their recent collection of garms such as graphic tee’s and accessories whilst having the new 247’s in sight.
Whilst embracing the lifestyle and sport culture of the trainer, the new New Balance 247 offers a more substantial upper design versus that of the original 247 which is perfect for on-the-go comfort and ease. The next stop was Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium where New Balance have been a main sponsor of the club since 2012. An insightful AAA Tour of the stadium was undergone whilst the tour guide shares insider knowledge of the club’s history, its traditions, and past managers while checking out the home team dressing room all the way through to the press room.
This was followed by a terrace talk with the editor-in-chief Dan Sandison from the football and lifestyle magazine Mundial, who gave insights of the Liverpool football culture and held a Q&A for everyone to get stuck in with. If that wasn’t enough, we headed into one of the executive boxes which over looked the pitch to enjoy some more food (and wine) before we headed off to the last stop of the day, the Twelfh Man.
The Twelth man, located metres away from Anfield stadium, is seen to be one of the main pubs Liverpool supporters head to before any big game and after where the wins are celebrated. We were lucky enough to embrace the Liverpool FC supporter culture and spend an evening in the pub to celebrate our very own win with the modern style seeker 247v2 trainer and mark the end of a fantastic tour. Guest performer Tom Misch truly enlightened the evening with his R&B and Soul sounding music whilst everyone enjoyed a drink or two (..or three).
New Balance really embraced the culture and creative scene of Liverpool for the global launch of their new 247 trainer. The 247 tour not only represented the intersection between where lifestyle and sport meet with the trainer however, allowed us to test the craftsmanship, technology and fit that New Balance is legendary for and this definitely reached its peak to what the heritage brand lives up to. Behind all of this, I must give a huge thanks to the wonderful PR and Creative Agency Gung Ho for putting together an unforgettable experience! Head over to www.newbalance.co.uk to shop the collection!
Check out some more images below!
Photo Credit: Maria Kiniaris
