New Balance 550: the story of the 1989 basketball shoe, how to pick your size and what to expect on price
The 550 is a 1989 basketball shoe that had been forgotten before showing up everywhere again. Here's its story, how to pick your size, what it costs in store and how to compare Yupoo sellers' listings with Yupa.
Where the 550 comes from
The 550 came out in 1989. It's a basketball shoe designed by Steven Smith for New Balance, meant as the low-top version of the Pride 650. Back then it was called the P550 Oxford and cost 45 dollars: an entry-level model.
It didn't sell that well. After a stint in the UK and parts of Asia, it almost completely disappeared for years.
The comeback came in 2020 with Teddy Santis, founder of the New York brand Aimé Leon Dore. New Balance had so little archive material on the model that the team relied on an old Japanese catalogue, bought used pairs and dug up old sketches. The collab did so well that the 550 then joined the brand's regular lineup.
The colourways and materials that matter
The shape doesn't change: leather upper, the “N” on the side, a chunky basketball sole. The colours and materials are what make the difference.
| Version | What it looks like | Why people like it |
| White and green | White leather, green overlays | The retro basketball look, the best known |
| White and navy | White leather, navy details | Easy to wear with jeans |
| White and grey | White leather, grey details | The most low-key |
| Sea Salt | Off-white base, coloured details depending on the version | A warmer white |
| Suede | Suede overlays instead of smooth leather | Warmer and more textured |
| Aimé Leon Dore collabs | Retro colourways picked by the New York brand | They're the ones that brought the model back |
Which size to pick
The 550 fits true to size for most people. It's a bit long and fairly narrow, so the width of your foot is what decides.
It's often compared to the Air Force 1: if you wear a size in Air Force 1s, you can usually take the same in the 550. New Balance shows its sizes in US, UK and EU, with half sizes.
- Regular foot: your usual size.
- Narrow foot: half a size down.
- Wide foot: half a size up.
- Measure your foot in centimetres (heel against a wall, up to your longest toe) and compare with the seller's chart, especially if they only show US or UK sizes.
Store price and prices on Yupoo
In France, a classic 550 costs around €140 in 2026 at official retailers, for example €139.99 at Foot Locker for the Sea Salt and green colourway. Collabs cost more, and some colourways shoot up on resale.
On Yupoo, prices vary a lot from one seller to another, even for items with the same name. Yupa shows the price each seller lists, converted to euros, without changing it. Yupa doesn't sell anything: we show you public listings and always send you to the seller.
When you compare, don't stop at the price. Look closely at the photos (leather, stitching, sole), check that the seller gives a size chart, and add shipping and customs to the total. It's all explained in /guides/douane-colis-chine.
Finding the 550 on Yupoo with Yupa
Opening Yupoo albums one by one takes forever. With Yupa, you search the public catalogues of several stores at once. The full method is in /blog/chercher-sur-yupoo.
- Type “new balance 550” or “nb 550” in the search, plus the colour if you want a specific one.
- Filter by type (shoes) and by size to keep only what could fit you.
- Compare the shops: price in euros, photos, available sizes.
- Open the seller's album to see all the photos and their size chart.
- From there, it's between you and the seller: Yupa stops at the link.
What to wear it with
The 550 has a retro basketball shape, a bit chunky. It works great with straight jeans, chinos or cargos, and a plain t-shirt or sweatshirt. Skip trousers that are very tight at the ankle, they make the shoe look huge.
For colours, pick up the shoe's accent colour somewhere else in your outfit: a green beanie with the white and green pair, a navy sweatshirt with the white and navy. And to keep white leather clean, a wipe with a damp cloth now and then is enough.
Does the New Balance 550 run big or small?
It fits fairly true to size, a bit long and narrow. Regular foot: your usual size. Narrow foot: half a size down. Wide foot: half a size up.
How much does a New Balance 550 cost in 2026?
Around €140 in France at official retailers for a classic colourway in 2026 (€139.99 at Foot Locker, for example). Collabs and some materials cost more.
What's the difference between the 550 and the 650?
The 550 was designed in 1989 as the low-top version of the Pride 650, a high-top basketball shoe. Same retro feel, but the 550 stops below the ankle.
How do I clean white New Balance 550s?
Soft brush and soapy water on the leather, then a damp cloth, and let them air dry away from the radiator. Avoid the washing machine, leather doesn't like it.
Where can I find the New Balance 550 on Yupoo?
Search “new balance 550” on Yupa: you'll see listings from several Yupoo stores with the seller's price in euros, then you open the seller's album. Yupa doesn't sell anything, it sends you to the seller.
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