Can You Identify this New Balance–Branded Mystery Object?

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When the bronze tube above appeared at Racked HQ in the daily mail, we were baffled. Clearly, it had a message for us: It's printed with an invitation to the opening of the New Balance store, which debuts in August in the Flatiron District. But why a tube? Nothing happened when we tried looking through it. Banging on it led to limited effect and made us feel like monkeys. Finally, as we were passing it around, it clicked. It's a baton. Like for relay races. Maybe we should have joined the track team in high school after all. (Please feel free to leave your own variation on the word "duh" in the comments section.)
· Kick It: Customize Your Own Pair of New Balance 574s [Racked NY]
· New Balance [Official Site]