The grey New Balance might be the last thing in your closet that requires zero explanation. They’ve become a bit of a uniform for men across all age groups. And the best part is that they’ve never set you back more than a few hundred bucks. The silhouette has always felt like a stylish, timeless, decent value prop.
Well today, that all changes. New Balance has just rolled out its most complicated (and most expensive) sneaker ever in the new Made in USA 2040v5.
The 2040 Was Never the Popular One
Most people know the Made in USA program through the 990 and its endless sequels. The 2040 is the other one, launched in 2012 as a showcase for what New Balance’s American factories were capable of when budget constraints were removed.
It landed at $275, which was a wild ask for sneakers at the time. It never got famous per se, but it did get a following. Although it was mostly among people who care more about construction than logos (ourselves included).
Three Foams and Two Carbon Plates
Stacked underfoot are FuelCell, ABZORB SBS, and ENCAP, which is basically every cushioning technology New Balance owns, all crammed into a single midsole.
Then come the plates, and there’s two of them in total. A full-length carbon fiber plate runs the length of the shoe, and a second sits along the medial side for added stability.
And while these are more known as dad shoes, this is supershoe hardware that we’re talking about. It’s the sort of thing you’d usually find on marathon shoes designed to shave a few minutes off your PR.
Leather Straight From Chicago’s Finest
Up top, Horween nubuck covers the saddle, tongue, foxing, mudguard, and toe. It’s layered over a two-toned mesh base so the silhouette can still breathe comfortably.
New Balance applies that nubuck with two different gauges of contrast stitching, which is a small detail we appreciate.
There’s also an injected TPU ‘2040’ badge, embroidered USA branding at the heel, reflective hits along the overlays, and a total build the brand says runs past 43 separate components.
About That “Put Your Money Where Your Feet Are”
That’s New Balance’s actual campaign line, which is really drawing a line in the sand as to where the brand stands on the price point.
And to be clear, the price gag is quite large here. A Made in USA 990v6 sits at roughly $200 on New Balance’s own site, so the 2040v5 asks double for a shoe that comes out of the same factory.
Spec Sheet
Brand: New Balance
Model: Made in USA 2040v5
Style #: U2040509
Colorway: Castlerock with Mood Indigo and Blacktop
Upper: Two-toned mesh with Horween nubuck leather overlays (saddle, tongue, foxing, tip, mudguard)
Cushioning: FuelCell, ABZORB SBS, and ENCAP
Plates: Full-length carbon fiber plate plus medial-side carbon fiber plate
Outsole: Rubber
Details: Injected TPU ‘2040’ label, embroidered ‘USA’ heel branding, reflective accents
Sizing: Unisex, M5/W6.5 through M15/W16.5, standard (D) width
Manufacturing Origin: USA (70% or more domestic value)
Release Date: August 20, 2026
MSRP: $399.99
Pricing & Availability
The Made in USA 2040v5 drops August 20th at 10AM ET, priced at $399.99 in a single Castlerock with Mood Indigo and Blacktop colorway. It’s a North America exclusive at launch through New Balance’s website and select retailers, with the rest of the world waiting until May 2027. Head over to New Balance’s website to get in line.
Recap
New Balance Made in USA 2040v5
New Balance’s most technically complex lifestyle shoe crams three cushioning foams, two carbon fiber plates, and Horween nubuck into a $400 grey sneaker.
