Brand: New Balance
Model: 2002r "Protection Pack"
Release Date: September 30
Price: $170
Buy: Online at the Highsnobiety Shop.
Editor's Notes: When New Balance brought its 2002r model back from its archive, it was a pretty instant hit with high-profile collabs and popular colorways; but when the American brand started layering panels of ripped-up suede on the upper, it really started flying off the shelves.
The brainchild of designer Yue Wu, the first "refined future" collection to feature this unconventional design sold out immediately and got the nickname "protection pack". This was followed up by more colorways and the 1906, one of New Balance's most popular models of late, also getting the protection pack treatment.
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As the market's gotten more saturated with protection pack models, it's fair to say that sell-out times and IG hype have diminished, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still bang — and the latest colorways prove that.
Adopting monotone finishes on the upper, the current crop of protection pack 2002r's show the shoe getting more technical and borrowing elements from the brand's outdoor footwear.
The latest iterations come with durable ripstop nylon replacing the mesh overlays that are usually on the shoe and toggle laces replacing the traditional lacing system.
Still including cut-up suede overlays on the upper, this sneaker sees the 2002r embrace being a functional outdoor shoe, something we've seen before with its GORE-TEX variations. It's not a fully-fledged hiking sneaker, but it's not too far away from being one.
Regardless of whether you're getting tired of seeing them or continue to be surprised by the beauty of the protection pack, New Balance isn't slowing down with new options and the latest are available to shop down below.
Keep scrolling to shop the New Balance 2002r Protection Pack.
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