New Balance is on fire right now. As if the string of best-in-class collaborations over the past two years or so wasn’t enough, the appointment of Teddy Santis as Creative Director of the Made in USA offering topped off the situation. The brand has managed to build hype into its everyday offering while others struggle to foster as much for high-profile collaborations.
This could only happen because New Balance’s OG catalog is so strong. Revamping a brand to build hype often comes across as a transparent PR play, but New Balance already had the credentials to be king of the hill before the collaborations and Santis appointment. Case in point: the New Balance 2002R.
This normcore staple has been around since 2010 but never really took off. That is, until a few years ago when New Balance stock rose sharply amongst a new generation looking for an antidote to the in-your-face aesthetic that began to characterize the sneaker landscape.
Ironically, in rejecting one type of hype, sneakerheads created a whole new world of hype around some of New Balance’s long-outlawed silhouettes. The New Balance 2002R is one such silhouette.
The long-time member of the Made in USA family has always been treated to a higher level of materials and craftsmanship than regular New Balance releases, but recent seasons have seen exponential growth in this field. Collaborations with names like Salehe Bembury as well as sell-out general releases like the Protection Pack have proven that the New Balance 2002R is one of the best blank canvases in the game, rewarding creative expression thanks to its understated shape.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best New Balance 2002R colorways available now. From hard-wearing leather iterations a rainbow of classic palettes, it’s evidence that the New Balance 2002R might be the best sneaker to buy in 2022.
Cop some of the best New Balance 2002R releases below.
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