The New Balance 1906L “Blacktop/Phantom” is an utterly wild hybrid sneaker at its most reserved. 

Undoubtedly the world’s most famous sneaker-loafer, the 1906L started its life entirely blacked out when Junya Watanabe sent a luxe leather iteration of the shoe down the runway during its Fall/Winter 2024 show. The sneaker immediately went viral, posted across fashion Instagram accounts and tabloid newspapers alike.  

But the “Blacktop/Phantom” sneaker isn’t the same. This is the other all-black version of the shoe. 

There’s less dressy leather here, with panels of breathable mesh making up the majority of the shoe. The only departure from the murdered-out color scheme is a silver “N” perched atop the vamp (that’s the panel of fabric covering the top of the shoe, in cobbler talk). 

That most simple of color combinations helps neutralize an objectively crazy shoe. This is a loafer crossed with a sneaker, two entirely different forms of footwear crossed into a bizarre mash-up, and yet in all-black it almost looks conventional in all-black. Crazy what a big difference color can make. 

If the black-on-black “Phantom” loafer looks familiar, that’s because it is. The shoe first arrived (and swiftly sold out) in September 2024. But now it’s back, slowly arriving at sneaker stores and expected to be available on New Balance’s website next week.

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