New Balance 204L January 2026 Releases

2026 is still young, but New Balance is already getting to work with the introduction of several new styles of its on-trend 204L sneaker.

Introduced in July of 2025, the New Balance 204L is a budget-friendly alternative to the Boston-based sportswear brand’s coveted $1,220 530 SL collaboration with Miu Miu. For those who aren’t looking to fork over four figures, the 204L features a similar slim-soled profile at a fraction of the cost.

On Friday, New Balance released four brand-new colorways of the 204L along with restocks of previously sold-out looks. The new styles include NB Navy/Salt Water (style code U204L67Q), Black/Magnet (style code U204L5WZ), Gray Matter/Shipyard (style code U204L86W) and an outlier Cortado/Stone Pink (style code U204L273) combination which dons a tonal mesh base.

Recent 204L restocks include Timberwolf/Linen and the model’s debut Mushroom/Arid Stone colorway, both of which remain available in select sizes. 

According to New Balance, the 204L bridges the gap between the heritage brand’s 2000s design language and its 1970s footwear output. It gets its slim, razor-thin proportions from ‘70s running shoes while blending more modern, Y2L-leaning materials and overlays.

“It was a true collaborative effort working alongside our product manager, developer, and team of designers to bring this model to life. The [204L] shoe is designed to stand out from other New Balance models with this convergence of two different eras, set to be released in unique materials and colorways,” Pierome Sar, senior designer at New Balance, said in a press release. 

Thin-soled sneakers were a top trend in 2025 and will likely carry well into the new year. While there have been some early signs of market fatigue, low-profile looks are still some of the most coveted silhouettes available today. 

Each of the new 204L looks pictured here are available now from newbalance.com in nearly full size runs for $120 each.