We first gave you a look at the New Balance 790 Retro here in our NB Spring 2010 Lookbook series. A classic New Balance Basketball silhouette, the shoe is hitting retail right now in James Worthy-Los Angeles Lakers White/Purple and Boston Celtics White/Green colorways. Two more styles of the shoe are on the way in March: White/Blue and White/Navy. Retail price for all models is $80. Continue reading for more backstory and detailed looks at the New Balance 790 Retro.

The New Balance 790 holds a unique, if overlooked, place in sneakerdom. Bidding for its own slice of the mid-‘80s basketball market pie chart, New Balance signed L.A. Lakers forward James Worthy to a $1 million contract as the Lakers were making a run at the 1985 NBA title. That season, Worthy wore the New Balance 785, the shoe many still consider his quintessential ride. The 790 was the follow-up, replete with purple and gold color accents and high-top height. Though Worthy would eventually move on to adidas and Nike, his Lakers-inspired New Balances made a brief but bold impression on the sneaker landscape. Now, New Balance brings back the 790 for fans and shoeheads alike to get reacquainted with Golden Era history.

Images via Shelta