The latest project between New Balance and UBIQ on the 1600 has been dubbed the “English Crown” and continues the story they began back in 2013 with their “Benjamin” collaboration, but this time, it connects the dots between Philadelphia and The World Over.

The New Balance 1600 x UBIQ “English Crown” takes its inspiration and name from the St. Edward’s crown, and while it was initially named after Edward the Confessor, and had already been used for the coronation of many a British monarch beforehand, its current and most well-know form was created for King Charles II in 1661.

UBIQ say that on it’s own, this may not seem to have a direct tie to Philly, but history hides an often overlooked link. Just 20 years after being crowned King of England, Charles II actually handed over a large portion of his American landholdings to William Penn to make good on a debt he owed to his father, Sir William Penn. This set in motion a series of events that shaped American history forever, beginning with the younger Penn setting sail towards America to found what we now know as Philadelphia.

With this in mind, and New Balance’s premium materials at UBIQ’s fingertips, they knew they had a huge opportunity and a lot of choices. The first of these choices, of course, was what silhouette to use. As a nod back to our “Benjamin” project we chose to revisit the 1600 model as a continuation of our story. The rich burgundy suede upper and gold stitching found throughout are a direct homage to Charles II’s revamped St. Edward’s Crown. The insole & hangtag continue the theme by featuring Orb & Scepter detailing.

The UBIQ x New Balance 1600 “English Crown” releases at UBIQ on Saturday 10th of September both online and in-store, and to commemorate the release, UBIQ has partnered with Goodwood on a special edition Treasure Chest to house the precious collaboration. Limited to 24, the boxes will be hand numbered and will include a variety of royal treats. Head to our Instagram to find out how you can win one!