Why the New Balance 2002R is One of the Defining Sneakers of 2021

Born in the mid-2000s, the New Balance 2002 hit the scene as a luxury running silhouette. That meant premium materials, a high-quality build, next-level tech, and eye-catching design. Early uptake was fairly slow in those first years, due to the combined factors of the shoe being rather hard to track down, and the steep $250 USD price tag. So, it’s been quite the turnaround for the 2002R to become one of the defining sneakers of this year. 

How did it happen? Well, last year New Balance began to assert some dominance over their rivals, built on the strong foundation of popular retro releases and high-profile collaborations. Key models like the 990 and 992 experienced a renaissance as they found a new, younger audience. New Balance 530 and New Balance 550 are trending and with the focus on vintage and brand legacy at an all-time high, it was the perfect moment to resurrect the often-forgotten 2002. Reworked by New Balance Japan employee Tetsuya Shono, the modern version of the silhouette was renamed the 2002R, mainly due to some minor structural changes. The OG upper stayed intact, but the full-length GEL midsole was replaced with the recently retro-ed 860v2’s sole unit.

New Balance entered the market with a bang as they enlisted ex-Versace footwear designer Salehe Bembury for a collaborative project known as ‘Peace be the Journey’. High-profile link-ups followed with N.HOLLYWOOD, thisneverthat and Invincible, who all put their spin on the modernised model. That new-found cachet fast-tracked the 2002R into must-have status, which NB parlayed into a series of killer in-line drops. Muted colour schemes harked back to its mid-2000s origins, flexing the 2002R’s full potential as an all-rounder suitable for any modern wardrobe.

That versatility was again highlighted through the release of the ‘Protection Pack’ in August this year. The update caused quite a stir, and had customers lining up for hours at retail locations. For a general release, this was a super impressive accomplishment. And the co-signs continued when the model started to attract the attention of the top tier moodboards – the 2002R’s photogenic nature encouraging sneakerheads to flex the model on lovingly curated Instagram accounts that had millions of followers.