Photo of PM Lawrence Wong wearing New Balance shoes at NDP goes viral

SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lawrence Wong arrived at the National Day Parade on Aug 9 wearing a pair of black New Balance shoes that have sparked chatter among netizens online.

In a Facebook post on Aug 9, Singapore media outlet SGAG drew attention to PM Wong's shoes with a photo of him stepping out of a car to attend his first NDP since he was sworn in as prime minister.

The shoes, SGAG said, appeared to be similar to the running shoes worn by Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen.

The post said: "Who needs drip when you can wear the eMart New Balance shoes instead."

Drip is a term that is used to describe a person's style as cool and fashionable.

SAF eMart is a store — both online and brick and mortar — from which servicemen can buy equipment and personal items.

It remains unclear, however, if PM Wong's shoes are the same model available at eMart.

Before 1995, servicemen used black gymnasium shoes dubbed "gongfu" shoes. In 1995, SAF made the switch to New Balance models.

The post, which was widely distributed online, attracted a string of comments.

One netizen said: "I'm gonna use this photo for reference whenever my bosses question about my sport shoes."

"Cool and casual," said another netizen.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.