One of New Balance’s most exciting new sneakers just launched in three winter-appropriate tonal looks, but they’re only available from select retailers.
The Boston-based athletic footwear company’s Y2K-inspired Abzorb 2000 model is available now in Black/Black (U2000ETB), Castle Rock/Concrete Gray (U2000ETA) and Blue Ice/Gray (U2000ETC) looks. Despite the official color combinations, each look is nearly full monochromatic, with the black pair in particular leaving no room for other accents. The accompanying Castle Rock/Concrete Gray and Blue Ice/Gray pairs include small accents throughout on the branding and technical components of the new design.
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Introduced in June with an icy-looking Still Water/Blue Agate style, the Abzorb 2000 was designed by Charlotte Lee, design manager of EMEA energy and speed at New Balance. Lee told Footwear News that the concept behind the new model was to imagine what designers from the early 2000s could pull off with the tools and skillset she possesses today.
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“We thought the world was going to end, the millennium bug, et cetera, and there’s this freedom within the design space at that period of time where designers of all fields kind of looked at things through this amazingly free and fun lens. I really drew references from what the future looked like in the early 2000s, and I think it’s still relevant now,” Lee said.
Paul Kaseumsouk, general manager of lifestyle inline and speed at New Balance, told FN that New Balance intentionally set out to introduce something that felt wholly new with the Abzorb 2000. “You can still find subtle nods to our heritage in the detailing and craftsmanship, but the overall design was meant to break the mold and signal a bold step forward,” Kaseumsouk said.
After selling quickly from other stockists, this trio of New Balance Abzorb 2000 styles is available now in nearly all sizes from JD Sports’ e-commerce store. Each pair is priced at $170 each.