Side Kicks Streetwear • Global Release Guide
Updated: 25 June 2026
New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' U18907P8 Release Date, Price & Where to Buy
About the release
After the runaway success of the 1906L sneaker-loafer, New Balance is back with another hybrid — and this one goes even further. The New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' fuses a Clarks Wallabee-style moccasin upper with the techy tooling of NB's 1906R, and finishes the build with faux snakeskin overlays. It's the kind of crossover that shouldn't work on paper but lands as one of the more interesting releases of the summer. Style code U18907P8.
The shoe runs in cream leather with faux snakeskin overlays wrapping the mudguard, midfoot paneling, top of the tongue and the heel. The lacing system is open, mocassin-style, with a minimalist 'N' branding hit kept to the toebox rather than the usual midfoot placement. Underfoot, a black ABZORB-cushioned midsole in the original-style pod format references the 1906R and 2002R era of NB performance design. NB 1890 branding appears on the insole as the model's signature internal marker.
UK release is Friday 3 July 2026 for £160 via New Balance and select retailers.
TL;DR – New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' Release Date, Price & Where to Buy
- UK release date: Friday 3 July 2026
- Model: New Balance 1890
- Colourway: Cream / Snakeskin / Black
- Style code: U18907P8
- UK retail price: £160
- Sizing: Unisex
- Where to buy: New Balance and select retailers
- Key details: Sneaker-moccasin hybrid construction, Wallabee-style open mocassin lacing, cream leather base, faux snakeskin overlays on mudguard, midfoot panels, tongue top and heel, minimalist 'N' on the toebox, NB 1890 cream sockliner branding, black tongue tag, textured leather collar, tonal laces, full-length ABZORB pod midsole, segmented outsole
Release date and price
The New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' releases on Friday 3 July 2026 for £160 via New Balance and select retailers. The 'Snakeskin Cream' is the launch colourway of the 1890 — its global retail debut following Paris Fashion Week previews and Instagram teases over the past year.
Unisex sizing across the run. Given the cultural pickup the 1906L received and how anticipated the 1890 has been since its first teaser, expect demand to be strong on launch day.
Design and details
The 1890 is more of an experiment than a standard New Balance release. Most NB models tweak proportions of an existing template; this one fuses two genuinely different shoe categories — performance running and dress moccasin — and gambles on whether the join can hold. It does, mostly because the materials and proportions are properly considered rather than treated as a gimmick.
Wallabee-style upper
The upper is built around a Clarks Wallabee-inspired moccasin shape, with an open lacing system typical of a moc rather than a closed sneaker tongue construction. Cream leather forms the base, and a textured leather collar finishes the top of the shoe. Tonal cream laces sit through the lacing zone, keeping the whole upper colour story tight and quiet.
Faux snakeskin overlays
The reason this isn't just a beige moccasin lives in the overlays. Faux snakeskin in a matching beige tone wraps the mudguard, the midfoot paneling, the top of the tongue and the heel counter. The contrast between the smooth cream leather and the exotic texture is what gives the 1890 its visual identity — without the snakeskin, it would slot into a much more conventional moc-toe lane. The fact that it lands feels deliberately Frankenstein in the best sense.
Branding placement
Branding is kept restrained throughout. The minimalist 'N' logo sits on the toebox rather than its usual midfoot home — a direct nod to the 1906L's branding decisions. The tongue tag carries black New Balance branding in a thin, considered execution, and the NB 1890 mark sits on the cream sockliner as the model's internal signature.
ABZORB pod midsole
The sole unit references New Balance's mid-2000s performance tooling rather than the more recent 860v2-derived setups found on current 1906R and 2002R retros. The midsole runs in black with full-length ABZORB pods in the original heel-and-forefoot configuration — a pod-style format with a branding window on the heel. A segmented outsole handles the ground contact. It's a properly running-derived bottom under a moccasin upper, and the contrast is the entire point of the shoe.
New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' images
Credit: New Balance
The 1906L, the 1890, and New Balance's sneaker-loafer era
For most of the past decade, New Balance was best known as the 'dad shoe' brand — a label the company never really embraced but rarely challenged. That shifted with the 1906L sneaker-loafer, which launched in September 2024 and became one of the most genuinely culturally impactful NB releases of the year. It fused a performance running silhouette with traditional formalwear construction, gave fashion editors something to talk about, and sold out repeatedly.
The 1890 takes the same idea and pushes further. Where the 1906L was a sneaker that borrowed loafer cues, the 1890 is closer to a moccasin that borrowed sneaker tooling. The construction logic flips — the upper leads with formalwear instincts and the sole brings in the performance reference rather than the other way around. The snakeskin overlay is the additional disruption: a material associated with luxury exotic skins applied as a synthetic faux execution on a runner-derived hybrid. None of it should sit together comfortably. That it does is the win.
Lee Stuart, New Balance executive, teased early samples of the 1890 on Instagram in mid-2025, and the model debuted at Paris Fashion Week shortly after. The Snakeskin Cream is the global retail launch colourway, with more colourways expected to follow once the model establishes itself.
Where to buy
The New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' releases on Friday 3 July 2026 for £160 via New Balance and select retailers. Browse all New Balance releases and the New Balance 1890 archive on Side Kicks.
FAQ
When is the New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' UK release date?
The New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' releases on Friday 3 July 2026 via New Balance and select retailers.
How much does the New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream' cost in the UK?
UK retail price is £160.
What is the style code for the New Balance 1890 'Snakeskin Cream'?
The style code is U18907P8.
What is the New Balance 1890?
The 1890 is a hybrid sneaker-moccasin built around a Clarks Wallabee-style upper with New Balance running-derived tooling underneath. It's the follow-up to the 1906L sneaker-loafer that launched in 2024 and pushes the formalwear-meets-sportswear hybrid concept further.
Is the snakeskin on the 1890 real?
No. The snakeskin overlays are faux snakeskin — a synthetic material with a snakeskin print finish — not exotic leather. The texture and pattern do the visual work without the material use.
What is ABZORB cushioning?
ABZORB is one of New Balance's signature midsole technologies, originally used in mid-2000s performance runners and now applied across modern lifestyle silhouettes. On the 1890, ABZORB sits as a full-length pod system with a heel branding window, mirroring the original NB running sole architecture rather than the more recent 860v2-derived setups.
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