Storm Reid Goes Back to Her Atlanta Roots for a New Balance Collab

This interview took place before SAG-AFTRA strike activity. 

For Storm Reid, it all goes back to Atlanta. The Emmy-nominated actress — she’s up for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series this year for The Last of Us — may be based in L.A. these days (she’s also a drama student at the University of Southern California), but her heart is never far from her hometown. Reid recently teamed up with tennis superstar Coco Gauff to help transform a park in southeast Atlanta, and today, her latest campaign with New Balance debuts — brought to life in none other than the ATL.

“I always love going home, but to be able to go back for work is always a joy,” Reid tells InStyle. "I think Atlanta has formed me as a young human. To be able to intersect that with my shoe with New Balance is a blessing."

Reid says working with her friends, family, and even her dog made the day a "10 out of 10 experience.” Shot by Atlanta-based photographers Donte Maurice and Ahmad Barber at Midtown Bowl, a bowling and event venue that’s been around since 1960, the campaign was inspired by the city's energy in the early 2000s.

“We wanted it to represent me and my upbringing, my Atlanta roots, and my faith as well,” she explains.

Ahead, Reid opens up about the collaboration, how she’s wearing the sneakers, and her can’t-miss spots in Atlanta — Waffle House included.

InStyle: What were the inspirations and the ideas behind the shoe design?
Storm Reid: Thankfully, I was a part of the entire process creating the shoe. I sent over some mood boards at first, with just some colors and some textures that I really loved. I was actually able to go to Boston to the New Balance office, and I looked at booklets and booklets of colors, textures, and eyelets for the shoelaces.

Other than my Atlanta roots and my faith being a driving force of the inspiration of the shoe, I think I really just wanted it to represent me. You may not know, but my favorite color is baby blue, so I have to add the baby blue in there, and my signature's on the shoe. There are a lot of elements that keeps the shoe, the CT302, classic, but it's also a touch of my personal style and how I like to style my shoes. And it's just the small details that I think make the shoe so cool. 

How will you be wearing the shoes?
I've secretly been wearing them a little bit around, but I don't think people have realized that they're my shoes, so I am not giving too much away. I wear them on campus — the other day, I wore the shoes with a white dress. So, I like to style them up and style them down, I think that's what is so great about New Balance, and especially the shoes that New Balance is coming out with recently, you can style them up, you can have fun, you can be more casual with the shoe, or you can actually put a 'fit on and take some pics, and everybody is trying to figure out where you got your shoes from.

What does Atlanta culture mean to you?
Oh, wow. Atlanta means a lot to me, but other than Atlanta representing home for me, I think it's a place that represents vibrancy and excellence. And I think so many amazing creative, talented people come from Atlanta. So, to be able to always go back home and just see the vibrancy of the city and the people who are taking up space in Atlanta, I think is just so cool and so inspiring. It's vibrant, it's home, the food is good, the people are nice, but I think it also just represents inspiration and empowerment for me.

What are some things that remind you of home?
A lot of my family is still in Atlanta, so my family reminds me of home. Waffle House reminds me of home. And I think the sense of community reminds me of home. When I'm at school or with my friends at home in L.A., or at my home in L.A., I always feel a sense of community. But I always feel a stronger sense of community in Atlanta.

And then what are some of your favorite spots you just have to go to when you're in Atlanta?
Waffle House. I have to go to Waffle House. I have to go to this place called Burger Baby. My family, they own it, and they have really good surf-and-turf burgers. I have to go to Houston's, I didn't go last time and I was sad. And then I also have to get me some good wings. There's a few good wing places in the city, so I change it up.

The New Balance x Storm Reid CT302 Sneaker will retail for $100 starting Aug. 4 on newbalance.com.

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