Aimé Leon Dore was founded in March 2014 by Teddy Santis in Queens, New York. The name started with "Aimé," French for "loved." Because that word alone could not be trademarked, Santis added "Leon," his father's nickname, and "Dore," taken from his own first name, Theodore. The label mixes New York prep and sportswear with Santis's Greek heritage, which also shapes Café Leon Dore, the coffee bar inside its flagship at 214 Mulberry Street in Nolita. A London store in Soho followed in 2022 and a Los Angeles flagship on Melrose Avenue opened in April 2026. LVMH Luxury Ventures took a minority stake in the company in January 2022.
The New Balance partnership
ALD's first New Balance collaboration was a mismatched 997 in 2019, followed that year by the 990v2 and 990v5. In 2020 the label revived the 550, a 1989 basketball shoe that New Balance had left in the archive, starting with the P550 Basketball Oxford. The 550 went on to become one of New Balance's biggest general releases. That run helped put Santis in charge of New Balance's Made in USA line as creative director in April 2021, a role he still holds.
Key Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance releases
- 550 (2020): the revival that returned the 1989 court shoe to shelves and kicked off years of 550 colorways.
- 650R (2021): the high-top companion to the 550, released in several packs.
- 1300 and 990 series: premium Made in USA builds, from the 2020 1300 to the 990v4 and 990v6.
- 993 (2021) and 991 (2022): premium running classics from New Balance's US and UK factories, with new Made in UK 991 colorways in December 2025.
- Rainier (2022): a vintage New Balance hiking boot that ALD brought back, followed by a Rainier Low in 2023.
- 860v2 and 1906R (2023): 2000s-era runners that ALD brought into its collegiate color palette.
- RC56 (2025): a slim, vintage-inspired runner that ALD helped introduce before New Balance released its own colorways.
- Fresh Foam BB v3 (2026): ALD's return to performance basketball after its 2024 Hesi Low.
Beyond New Balance
Since 2020, ALD has worked with Porsche on restored classic cars, starting with a 964-generation 911 Carrera 4 and later a 993 Turbo. Its footwear work outside New Balance includes the Clarks Originals Wallabee and Paraboot. On the outerwear side, the Aimé Leon Dore x The North Face Fall/Winter 2026 collection reworked the Mountain Jacket 2000, Nuptse and Denali. Every ALD sneaker also lives in our New Balance archive.