Matt Varga The true sign of maturity for a given New Balance model is the brand’s willingness to bend, twist, and turn it into new forms. The 1890A is truly the exception to the rule, seen by wide audiences before its parent model, but the 9060, 1906R, 204L, and 1000 can all speak to the Boston brand’s experimental streak as they’ve gone from new face to load-bearing tentpoles.
With official images of a few pairs in the past several months, we’re getting the sense that the New Balance 2000 is plotting its own side quests. The New Balance 2000S is the first released offshoot in that lane, adding a shroud to the “vis tech” titan, NB’s representative in a lane that includes the Shox for Nike and the Megaride for adidas. Though the initial 2000 demonstrated a new futuristic aspect that contrasted its throwback roster, another variation pictured here leans back towards that aesthetic.
In place of seamless synthetics, there’s chunky mesh, molded at the quarter for a ridged, textured aspect. While the 2000 proper emphasized a slick, thin feel in its overlays, here New Balance piles on new ones, crucially creating a separated toe box and adding additional padding to the heel. To close out, the American giant paints a classic white/grey/navy on this pair, ensuring its “dad-like” vibes are immediately and unquestionably communicated.
The New Balance 2000 should be hitting shelves in the coming weeks. It’s currently unknown whether this build will carry a revised retail price in turn.
