- Ayo Edebiri officially signed as the newest global brand ambassador for New Balance on September 9, 2026.
- The debut campaign spotlights the classic New Balance 574 sneaker and was photographed by Tyler Mitchell in Edebiri's hometown of Dorchester, Boston.
- This marks Edebiri's first footwear contract, adding to her high-fashion portfolio alongside her existing ambassadorship with luxury house Loewe.
- The long-term deal includes upcoming marketing campaigns, cultural initiatives, and creative collaborations with the sportswear brand.
Ayo Edebiri has officially joined New Balance as a global brand ambassador. The athletic footwear company announced the partnership on September 9, 2026, uniting two Boston icons. Edebiri grew up in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, just miles from the brand’s global headquarters.
Photographed by Tyler Mitchell and styled by Danielle Goldberg, her debut campaign features the classic New Balance 574 sneaker at local landmarks, including Boston Latin School, the Boston Public Garden, and a traditional Dorchester triple-decker home.
Edebiri’s career continues to expand across acting, writing, and directing. Best known for her Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award-winning performance as Sydney Adamu in FX’s The Bear, she directed season three’s standout episode “Napkins” and co-wrote season four’s acclaimed episode “Worms.”
On the big screen, Edebiri voiced Envy in the box-office hit Inside Out 2 and starred in major 2025 releases, including Luca Guadagnino‘s thriller After the Hunt opposite Julia Roberts, the political comedy Ella McCay, and A24’s Opus.
In the fashion world, luxury label Loewe named her a global brand ambassador in 2024. While Edebiri regularly wore vintage runners off-duty, this marks her first official footwear contract.
She joins an eclectic roster of stars shaping lifestyle and sports culture. New Balance consistently bridges athletic heritage with music and entertainment. For example, Jack Harlow teamed up with the brand for a new T500 collaboration to bring retro court shoes into everyday streetwear.
On the track, Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and New Balance unveiled their third collection, blending elite athletic performance with lifestyle silhouettes. The company also backs major athletes such as tennis star Coco Gauff and baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani.
New Balance confirmed that Edebiri will not only front future ad campaigns, but will also contribute her creative perspective to upcoming design projects and cultural initiatives.
Takeaways
The modern footwear market no longer relies solely on athletes to drive lifestyle sneaker sales. By signing Ayo Edebiri, New Balance scores an authentic cultural storyteller who bridges luxury fashion with everyday streetwear.
Her hometown roots in Dorchester give the campaign immediate credibility, turning a standard endorsement into a genuine homecoming narrative.
Pairing an award-winning writer, director, and Loewe ambassador with an accessible staple like the 574 proves that athletic brands can achieve high-fashion relevance without losing their everyday appeal.
Will New Balance invite Edebiri to write or direct narrative-driven brand films instead of standard 30-second commercials? Could this partnership lead to a collaborative “Ayo Edebiri x New Balance” capsule collection featuring custom colorways or apparel?
