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New Balance 2002

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New Balance 2002
TypeSneakers
InventorNew Balance
Inception2010; 14 years ago (2010)
ManufacturerNew Balance
AvailableYes

New Balance 2002 is a running shoe produced by New Balance.

Overview

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The company developed the 2002 as a high-performance running shoe and a successor to the New Balance 2001, part of the company's 1000 series of running shoes.[1] The upper of the shoe is made of nubuck and mesh while the sole features the company's N-ERGY gel all along the shoe. The inspiration for design of the shoe, including the sole, came from a previous model, the New Balance 1906.[2] The shoe was manufactured in the company's American factories and sold for a premium of $250 when it was released in 2010.[3] Due to the high price, the shoe was not popular when it first launched.[4]

Original New Balance 2002 (left) next to New Balance 2002R (right). Both have the same upper but different bottom soles.

In early 2018, a Japanese employee, Tetsuya Shono, was working on deciding which shoe from the company's catalogue to bring back for the second half of 2020. Shono knew how popular the model was in Japan and was also a fan of it himself. Hence, he decided it would be a good choice.[5] He felt that the 2002 could support the New Balance 99X series by offering a different design to contrast it.

The shoe was re-introduced in 2020, its tenth anniversary, as the 2002R.[6] The 2002R did not feature the same sole as the original because it did not exist anymore. As a result, the sole of the New Balance 860v2 was chosen to replace it.[7] The shoe launched to some success but soon saw a lot popularity the following year due to collaborations with prominent designers.[1]  

Models

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2002R

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This model was introduced as a lifestyle sneaker. The shoe features the same design as the original, with the only difference being the sole, which it borrows from the 860V2.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b "NEW BALANCE 2002R – A BRIEF HISTORY". JD Sports. 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  2. ^ "Here's Why the New Balance 1906R Will Become the Next Big Thing". Sole Supplier. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  3. ^ "Guide to the New Balance 2002R". Stadium Goods. 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  4. ^ "The Five Most Influential New Balance 2002Rs". Sneaker Freaker. 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  5. ^ "How New Balance Remade the 2002 Into an Unlikely Hit". Complex. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  6. ^ "New Balance To Reissue The 2002 Later This Month". SoleSavy. 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  7. ^ a b "BEHIND THE NEW BALANCE 2002R". Streething. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2024-06-08.