Salehe Bembury is the Vice President of Sneakers and Men’s Footwear at Versace. He has definitely proven his creativity and design skills throughout the years, so it’s no wonder that New Balance collaborated with him on their 2002R model.
I’m a fan of orange, so as soon as I saw these sneakers, they were a must-cop for me. The whole model draws inspiration from nature and national parks on the West Coast, especially Arizona’s Antelope Canyon – as Bembury referenced. The upper is kept in maroon and different hues of orange, using leather, mesh and fluffy suede. The NB logos on the sides are detailed with blue, to resemble the sky.
I really like this release because of its’ many details. The designer’s name appears on the tongue, while the white midsoles are speckled to complete the vision. There are also branded cork insoles and the shoes come with 4 sets of laces in various colors (blue, green, orange and white). This whole collaboration is enclosed in an exclusive shoebox with a canyon view.
Salehe has been teasing the release on his social media for awhile now, in addition to giving away a few pairs to those tagging him on Instagram, by using creative ideas to get his attention. I tried my luck and recorded a video too, but to no avail. The raffles haven’t been in my favor either, so I will just have to sit this one out and take the L, humbly.
Nevertheless, I hope that most of you who wanted the Salehe Bembury x New Balance 2002R managed to cop. Make sure to show us your pairs on Instagram and Twitter!
