New 990, or the one it just replaced? For anyone in India looking at the New Balance Made in USA 990v7, which carries a November 6, 2026 release date in Kool Grey (U990GR7), nothing else matters much. And the honest answer is not the one New Balance wants to hear.
A new 990 does not come around often. The original arrived in 1982 at $100, sold with the line "On a scale of 1000, this shoe is a 990." The v2 took until 1998. Then came the v3 in 2012, the v4 in 2016, the v5 in 2019 and the v6 on November 4, 2022. Seven versions in 44 years. Each one resets what a grey dad shoe is supposed to look like.
The case for the 990v7
Start underfoot, because that is where the money went. FuelCell foam first appeared in a 990 on the v6; the v7 keeps it, makes it softer, runs it the full length of the shoe and splits it into two densities. Gear Patrol's launch report also lists a new TPU shank through the midfoot, with ENCAP and the CR heel device still handling stability at the back.
Then the shape, which is the bigger change. Sole Retriever put the two side by side in its 990v6 vs 990v7 comparison: the v7 has a rounded heel where the v6 swept backwards, and a rounder toebox where the v6 stretched long. The upper is pigskin suede and mesh with tumbled leather on the tongue and heel tab, and "990" stamped into a reflective strip.
Jean Khalife, who designed it, told Gear Patrol the aim was "to strike the perfect balance between familiarity and progressiveness." We read that as an admission that the v6 went too far, and we agree with the correction. The v7 is the better-looking shoe. From across the road it reads as a 990, which the v6 never quite managed.
The label has not changed. Made in USA still means at least 70 percent of the shoe's value comes from the United States, per Gear Patrol. That is where the extra money goes. It is also a large part of why a 990 costs about twice what a 1906R does here. Chris Davis, the brand's president, told Man of Many the shoe is "beloved by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio alike." Add a fair number of Indian office floors to that list.
The case for the 990v6
The v6 was the adventurous one: a long toe and a heel that kicked out behind you. Opumo called it the more futuristic of the two, and that is fair. It was also the one that brought FuelCell into the 990 line, and that foam is still the reason to buy it.
Its real argument in November 2026 is simpler than any of that: it exists. You can buy one today from a shop that ships within India, and an outgoing model tends to get cheaper once its replacement lands.
New Balance 990v7 price in India: the math
First, the price, because sources disagree. Gear Patrol, Sneaker Bar Detroit and Stylerave all give $200 for the Kool Grey. Sole Retriever's comparison says $250. New Balance's own page would not load for us, so we are going with the three that agree and telling you about the one that does not.
At ₹93.96 to the dollar on November 11, 2026 (open.er-api.com), $200 is about ₹18,790. Nobody sells it here. Searches for the 990v7 on Crepdog Crew, Mainstreet, Superkicks and Limited Edt returned nothing this week. Import a pair yourself and the footwear duty stack applies: 20% basic customs duty, a 4% cess, a 10% surcharge on both and 18% IGST over the lot, which EximPe's calculator totals at 49.15% (rates as at May 13, 2026). Landed, that is roughly ₹28,030 before shipping.
Now the v6. On the day we checked, Hustle Culture listed the Made in USA 990v6 "Castlerock" (M990GL6) at ₹19,999. Crepdog Crew showed the 990v6 MiUSA Grey from ₹17,999. Mainstreet had a grey pair at ₹27,299, so shop around. The cheapest v6 in India costs about ₹10,000 less than a v7 you import yourself.
Resale tells the same story, with a warning attached. StockX's search page showed a single unlabelled price for each shoe when we looked: $233 on the 990v7 Kool Grey and $100 on the 990v6 Grey. It does not say whether that is an ask or a last sale, and no sales history loaded, so do not treat either as a quote. As a direction it is clear enough. The new one sits above retail. The old one has halved.
What we would actually pick
The v6. Today, in India, without much hesitation.
Not because it is the better shoe. It is not. The v7 fixes the one thing people disliked about its predecessor, and a softer full-length FuelCell is a real upgrade for anyone on their feet all day. But ₹28,000 for a general release grey runner is poor value when ₹18,000 to ₹20,000 buys the last version with the same Made in USA build and most of the same cushioning.
Two things would change our mind. One is an official India listing at a sane rupee price. The other is the colours still to come: Just Fresh Kicks reports a black pair (U990BK7) for Holiday 2026 at a reported $200, and Joe Freshgoods has teased his own v7 on Instagram with no date. Black 990s get worn harder in Indian cities than grey ones, for obvious monsoon reasons. That pair may be worth the import. The grey is not.
One note before you order either. No outlet we read published widths or a size run for the v7, so do not assume it fits like your v6 until someone here has tried both. Grey suede also wants a suede brush and a dry day. Wear it with loose pleated trousers or straight denim, and let the hem sit on the tongue.
If the 99X look is what you are after and ₹20,000 is still a stretch, the New Balance 1906R Phantom New Spruce is in stock with us at ₹10,000, alongside the rest of our New Balance range.
For more on how New Balance's dad-shoe family tree splits, read our comparison of the 983 and the 1906R.
