New Balance opened its first-ever garden built for factory workers at its Flimby, UK manufacturing site, designed in partnership with London jeweler Bleue Burnham. The 900-square-meter space includes seating areas, seasonal plantings, wildflower beds, water features and cherry trees for the roughly 300 skilled workers who produce about 30,000 shoe pairs there each month.
A shoe built from the garden's soil
Burnham also designed a matching New Balance 991v1 Made in UK colorway (style M991BA1), which released September 12 in a limited run of 240 pairs through bleueburnham.com. The dark brown suede upper and its multicolor contrast stitching draw their palette from the garden's plantings and soil, according to Sole Retriever, which also notes a vivid blue Burnham logo on the tongue and insoles. Retail pricing was not disclosed ahead of the drop.
Why New Balance built it
"At New Balance, craftsmanship starts with people," said Dan Holtby, the brand's director of UK manufacturing, in the company's announcement. "The Flimby factory has been home to generations of skilled makers, and we wanted to create something meaningful for the employees who continue that legacy every day." Burnham called the project "both a privilege and an honour to have been entrusted with designing a garden for New Balance at their Made in UK factory."
A second, black leather 991v1 pairing with Burnham — also limited to 240 units — is expected in December 2026, continuing the Made in UK line Uristocrat has tracked through releases like the Air Jordan Black Pack's exotic-material heritage program on the archive side of the sneaker calendar.
Source: New Balance, Sole Retriever
Comments