The shoe's upper is made of smooth and perforated leather and mesh panels around the heel. Branding throughout the upper blends with the off-white surroundings, including the lateral and N logos, "550" hits on the forefoot, and tongue and heel "New Balance" branding. The shoe's tooling from 1989 also takes on a "Turtledove" finish, which is sure to appeal to sneaker customizers.

This Turtledove colorway is similar to the "Conversations Amongst Us" edition, but with some differences, such as the use of smooth and perforated leather instead of canvas on the upper, and mesh instead of hairy suede on the panels around the heel.