New Balance's 9060 Sneaker Wins Top Item Award at 2026 Accessories Council Awards
New Balance's 9060 sneaker won the 2026 Circana Top Item Award, one of the prizes revealed on Monday, 2 November 2026, at the Accessories Council's Design Excellence Awards in New York.
The Accessories Council, a not-for-profit trade association for the fashion accessories, jewellery, footwear, handbag and optical industries, revealed the winners at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. This year marks the eighth year of the celebration. The council's listing for the morning event included networking and breakfast before the reveal, which was scheduled for 8:30 to 10:30 am.
Hearts on Fire received the 2026 Hall of Fame Award from the council. The jewellery company is marking its 30th anniversary this year. WWD reported the win.
Other winners included Armando Allende, who took the Made in USA category for the Nexus drawstring handbag. Jane Win x GIADZY won the Brand Collaborations prize for the Gratitude Citrus Tile Original Pendant Coin. Michael Kors was also among the winners.
The awards cover 15 categories, including handbags, personal accessories, jewellery, watches, eyewear, footwear and tech. Four of those categories are for eyewear. Finalists were chosen by a public vote, which was open until 26 October.
The council's official awards page also lists winners such as 8 Other Reasons, Able, Adidas, Alain Mikli, American Optical, Baggallini, Baublebar and Bentz. The council is led by Karen Giberson, its president and chief executive.
For a shopper, a winning label is a sign of how the judges rated a product, not a guarantee of how it sells. The council's awards recognise design, and the winners list spans everything from sneakers to pendants to eyewear.
