New Balance Numeric x Samarria Brevard
Team rider for New Balance and renowned for her tre flip, Riverside’s Samarria Brevard announces her latest signature silhouette, the NM213 Pro Court Mid in collaboration with the Boston based NB# team. The first woman of colour to medal at the X-Games in 2017 and the first African-American female skater to win the Kimberley Diamond Cup at the Women’s Street Championship, 27 year old Brevard is a skater that is undoubtedly only just coming into her own.
Haphazardly getting into skateboarding around the age of 13 after watching longtime friend and fellow NB# team member Tre Williams skate for hours on end with her brother, So-Cal native Samarria’s passion for skateboarding is one that ultimately stems from pure enjoyment and a desire to just tap into whatever makes you happy. Training in Downtown LA’s Berrics skate park, Brevard took part in the first Supergirl Am Jam in 2011, with Girls Skate Network and Meow Skateboards founder Lisa Whitaker introducing her to the delights of the X Games a couple years later.
With the lead up to 2017 filled with her tether to Hoopla Skateboards, becoming the first African-American female skater to win South Africa’s Kimberly Diamond Cup and her placement in the top 10 at the Nike SB Street League Series. Despite being the first female black woman to medal at the Minneapolis X Games in 2017, that same year also brought about her win as the Mystery Guest MVP on Thrasher’s King of the Road stint, her moving to Enjoi Skateboards and her appearance in Transworld Skateboarding’s first full-length female skate film ‘Quit Your Day Job’, directed by Monique O’Toole and Erik Sandoval, featuring the likes of Nika Washington, Candy Jacobs and Leo Baker. Just a year later Samarria became the first woman to compete in the men’s X Games Real Street video contest, with her ‘Album’ part for Etnies sharing in the brand’s celebratory full-length revival since its iconic ‘High 5’ edit from ‘95. Fast forward to the present day and Samarria finds herself gearing up for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics as part of the 2021 USA Skateboarding Street Team alongside the likes of the fearless Alana Smith, Converse CONS pro rider Alexis Sablone and adidas Rider Series contributor Mariah Duran.
Inspired by the intrinsic colours of a dragonfly and its symbolism for personal transformation and adaptation, the New Balance Numeric NM213 Pro Court Mid is accompanied by its own ‘adapted to the demands of true skateboarding revolution, purpose-built to thrive in the streets’ tagline. Crafted from vegan friendly materials in keeping with Samarria’s own personal values, these synthetic suede and durable canvas NM213’s feature a streamlined appeal that’s creatively uplifted through its clean and contemporary follow-the-light colouring. A classic vulcanised rubber outsole is accentuated with traditional gum rubber auxetic overlays across the bumper and in a colour matched shade across the underfoot, whilst the reinforced suede toe cap and the abrasion resistant ollie panel keep performative function at the forefront of its signature design. Tonal reinforced stitchings can be seen across the quarters, whilst the brushed teal embroidered ‘N’ wall logo is mirrored by a same coloured ‘NB# Samarria 213’ tongue label, custom dragonfly detailed insoles and a complementing white print dragonfly ankle decal. A traditional six white eyelet lacing system secures the sculpted tongue across the arch of the foot for increased protection, with the lightly padded rear quarter collaring providing further structural stability to suit any skate style.
Featuring in New Balance’s ‘International Women's Day’ edit from March this year and a continued pillar of pioneering advancement for the female skate scene, there’s no questioning the talent or the direction of travel that the much loved Brevard is heading.
Shop all New Balance Numeric at Flatspot.
