Skip to main content

Rukus × New Balance drop 480 “Mallard Duck” with nature-inspired colorway

New Balance and Ruckus reestablish a skate shoe with a new mallard palette

By Leslie Leon Published November 28, 2025

new balance numeric mallard shoes — New Balance

New Balance Numeric’s latest collaboration brings a strong sense of place to a familiar silhouette. Teaming up with Louisiana-based shop Rukus, the brands unveil the 480 “Mallard Duck,” a skate shoe built around regional storytelling and a sharp eye for material contrasts. It’s a release that leans into heritage without losing the clean, utilitarian feel that’s made the 480 a staple.

The design pulls directly from the mallard’s distinctive coloring. Brown suede and leather make up most of the upper, echoing the bird’s feathers while providing a durable, textured base. A yellow tumbled-leather toe box references the bill, matched with a green suede heel counter that nods to the mallard’s iridescent head. Orange accents along the lining and outsole mimic its feet, and the “N” logo appears with a subtle sheen that hints at plumage catching light on the water. The palette is bold, but the execution is restrained, allowing the colors to feel intentional rather than costume-like.

New Balance and Rukus reimagine the 480 with a mallard-inspired makeover

The 480 stays true to its skate roots. You still get the supportive shape, sturdy overlays, and reliable grip that make the model a consistent performer. The heavier materials paired with the layered construction give the shoe a toughness that skaters will appreciate. At the same time, the more refined color blocking makes it easy to work into everyday wear. It’s the kind of collaboration that offers personality without sacrificing the silhouette’s straightforward appeal.

Recommended Videos

The Rukus x New Balance Numeric 480 “Mallard Duck” releases December 6 for $190, with the first drop landing exclusively through Rukus before a wider rollout. For anyone who likes their sneakers grounded in story and craftsmanship, this is a standout entry in New Balance’s ongoing run of thoughtful, region-inspired releases.

Leslie is a Los Angeles-based writer and content creator. After attaining a bachelor's degree in journalism from California…

Topics

Footwear

Fashion & Style

The 5 suit brands you need to know to build your first suit wardrobe: Including the first aspirational one

Building a suit wardrobe starts with the brands you can trust

Men's Wearhouse Custom

Look, starting a wardrobe is difficult. You have to decide what kind of man you want to be. What kind of message do you want to send? What kind of budget do you want to use? And how often you want to go back to the drawing board. What kind of man do you want to be? Sounds heavy. Sounds dramatic. Maybe because, in some ways, it is. So much of what people initially believe about you remains in their subconscious long after they get to know you. So what you wear is important. The message you want to send is one of being put together, attentive to details, or it is the opposite. Laid back and unbothered. The budget is also integral to the wardrobe you build. High quality comes with high prices. However, it comes with longevity, so it means you don't have to replace it as often, saving money in the long run. So, what kind of man do you want to be? Hopefully one that wears men's suits.

No matter what man, message, budget, or shopping frequency you choose, a good suit wardrobe will need to be a part of it. So, where do you go? How do you start? Here are the five brands to trust to get started. No Tom Ford, Brioni, giant fashion houses here. These are the five suits for the man starting out. And one for the man aspiring to the next step. The first four, you can grab your first quality suit for around the $1,000 mark. The aspirational one will be your first custom, so it will be a bit more.

Fashion & Style

Longines refreshes its cult-favorite central power reserve in light blue

The Swiss watch company is giving the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve some new dial and bracelet options.

Wristwatch, Arm, Dial

Longines has been around since 1832, which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating watchmakers on Earth — old enough to have spent decades strapped to the wrists of aviators and explorers before most brands existed. So when the Saint-Imier company, now part of the Swiss giant Swatch Group, revives something from its own archives, it's got real history to draw on. The Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is a good example.

The Conquest line dates to 1954 — the first Longines collection to have its name trademarked with the Swiss IP office. And in 1959, one Conquest model introduced the complication this watch is built around: a power reserve indicator planted dead center on the dial. For 2026, Longines has given the modern revival a light refresh: a new light-blue opaline dial and (for the first time on this model) a stainless-steel bracelet alongside the returning dark leather strap.

Fashion & Style

Shohei Ohtani’s newest Seiko is out of this world

Seiko built Shohei Ohtani a one-of-one watch that tracks a million hours across five rotating discs — and you can't buy it.

Wristwatch, Arm, Body Part

The Seiko Star Time, presented to Shohei Ohtani on July 3, marks his tenth year as a Seiko ambassador. It's not for sale, will never be for sale, and there's exactly one on Earth — currently strapped to the best baseball player alive. Oh, and also? It looks absolutely nuts. Instead of hands, the Star Time tells time with five stacked, concentric discs, each tracking a different scale of accumulated time: 24 hours, then 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, and finally a disc that runs all the way to one million hours.

That's roughly 114 years — a full human lifetime, give or take. The discs turn continuously, so slowly you can't see them move. Seiko named it "Star Time" for exactly that reason: like stars drifting across the sky, the motion is imperceptible in the moment but relentless. A little existential for a watch company, but let's go with it.