With Grey Days, New Balance celebrates a color that has become inseparable from the brand’s identity. In the current campaign, grey stands for neighborhood, community, and urban life — inspired by the cities on whose asphalt New Balance first made its mark. Throughout May 2026, the brand is bringing together different communities across Berlin, seeing the city as a network of neighborhoods, subcultures, and cultural spaces. Runs, performances, club nights, and meeting points stretch across Berlin, connecting movement, music, and exchange. The iconic grey dates back to the 1980s: while many brands focused on bold colors, New Balance looked to concrete, asphalt, and the rhythm of the city for inspiration. Grey quickly became part of the brand’s identity and continues to shape its design language today — from running to lifestyle. Grey Days translates this understanding into a citywide program across Berlin: kicking things off on May 9 is a 5K community run hosted by Load. Starting at the New Balance Mitte Store, the route finishes at Father Carpenter Coffee Brewers, where coffee and an ice cream truck await the runners. Just a few days later, Grey Night Vol. 1 shifts the focus toward culture and performance. The intimate acoustic session takes place in a historic setting, bringing together music, atmosphere, and community in a stripped-back environment.
On May 15, Grey Night Vol. 2 at Studio 1111 provides the counterpoint to the early-morning start: a club night where DJ sets, a curated line-up, and an ice cream truck come together and carry on late into the night. The program concludes on May 17 with an activation at the Maybachufer flea market. Between market stalls and neighborhood hangouts, visitors can expect free waffles, the same ice cream truck from the club night, drinks, vintage New Balance pieces, and a raffle featuring current sneaker releases. Here, too, the focus is on connection and exchange. At the same time, international New Balance ambassadors are sharing their personal connections to the color grey as part of the global campaign. From morning runs to club nights, grey moves through Berlin’s different spaces, scenes, and neighborhoods throughout May. A month that runs through the entire city — and a tribute to the color of the city itself. This May is turning grey!
Text: Leo Sandmann / Photos: New Balance
New Balance Grey Days
5K Community Run with Load 09.05.2026. Meet Up 08h30, Start Run 09h.
Start: New Balance Mitte Store, Münzstr.21, 10178 Berlin–Mitte; map
Finish: Father Carpenter Coffee Shop, Münzstr.21 10178 Berlin–Mitte; map
Grey Night Vol.2 15.05.2026 from 23h
Studio 1111, Potsdamer Str.96, 10785 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
Register here.
Maybachufer Fleamarket 17.05.2026 10–16h30
Maybachufer, 12047 Berlin–Neukölln; map
@newbalance
