New Balance Updates The 2002R With Tape Layer Uppers

The ever-reliable model gets a bit experimental.

Matt Varga July 25, 2024

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New Balance is no stranger to toying with their most beloved styles. We just witnessed it with the New Balance 1906A, bringing an industrial re-imagining to a shoe that’s still beloved on the market. While it’s not as transformative a refresh, the New Balance 2002R is next up in the rotation, planting new tape layers throughout the lifestyle shoe’s upper.

The new additions are most easily seen on the quarter and ankle overlays, ultra-thin layers planted below the requisite suede ones. Surely aiming to let this new switch-up speak for itself, this new change is rolled out in three tonal colorways; all-black, all-grey & all-white. Overall, the new construction leads to is a palpably more sleek overall feel, the thin, graphic replacements decreasing the chunky, layered feel of mainline releases. For some, that might detract from a selling point of New Balance’s foremost daily driver option, but as we’ve seen with “Protection Pack” styles in the past, fixing “something that ain’t broke” has paid dividends for New Balance already.

This three-pack of New Balance 2002R styles are expected to land this Fall. A $10 premium is expected given the hardware changes, bringing the price tag for each up to $155.

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WHERE TO BUY

Mens New Balance 2002R

SKU: M2002WB

RETAIL PRICE: $150

RELEASE DATE: 2026

US 2026

Retailer	Release type	Status
New Balance US	Standard	Check Site

Show All Releases

Get on the Where to Buy list

1 of 5

WHERE TO BUY

Mens New Balance 2002R

SKU: M2002WD

RETAIL PRICE: $155

RELEASE DATE: 2026

US 2026

Retailer	Release type	Status
New Balance US	Standard	Check Site

Show All Releases

Get on the Where to Buy list

1 of 5

Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.