Junya Watanabe Unveils New Balance’s P400 on the FW26 Runway

Junya Watanabe and New Balance are skirting the archive and jumping straight to what’s next. Unveiled during Paris Fashion Week as part of Watanabe’s Fall/Winter 2026 runway, the Junya Watanabe MAN x New Balance P400 lands as a stealthy, all-black interpretation of a brand-new performance silhouette that blurs the line between sport and high fashion.

The P400 presents a bold nod to basketball design with its chunky, sculpted sole and dynamic upper lines, hinting at hardwood roots while staying true to Watanabe’s minimalist and refined aesthetic. The all-black leather construction gives the shoe a lights-out, luxury feel, and the asymmetric ‘JUNYA WATANABE MAN’ tongue stamps remind you that this is footwear born from the intersection of avant-garde fashion and performance muscle.

Technically, specifics on cushioning and fit remain under wraps, though early reports suggest Fresh FoamX-inspired tech underfoot, aligning with New Balance’s current performance ethos. While the base P400 is slated to hit mid-February on broader retailer calendars, the Junya Watanabe edition is expected later in 2026.

For his part, Watanabe has long occupied a rare lane where conceptual fashion and real-world wearability overlap. A protégé of Rei Kawakubo and a key figure within the Comme des Garçons universe since the early 90s, Watanabe built his reputation on technical experimentation, fabric innovation, and an ability to twist familiar garments into something quietly radical. His JUNYA WATANABE MAN line, in particular, has become a proving ground for collaborations that feel genuinely purposeful rather than purely aesthetic – spanning everything from The North Face and Levi’s to Carhartt WIP and New Balance.

For more heat from Paris Fashion Week, check out Comme des Garçons' Nike LD-1000.