There’s a time and place for everything, as evident in New Balance 2002R’s history. It originally debuted in the 2010s but it almost disappeared as fast as it came. Deemed too expensive and underappreciated at the time, but with the market’s evolving palate and with some well-timed collaborations, the high-end runner is experiencing a resurgence, and NB struck while the iron was hot.

Helped by some well-executed general releases, the inertia will likely last awhile, especially with the arrival of this new “Toast” colorway.

The pair arrives in a tonal, uniform brown with a multi-material mix construction of leather and suede. The former making up the base layers with the latter taking up plenty of real estate. This high-quality arrangements of materials more than compensates for the pair’s lack of color variance, elevating it above its contemporaries nonetheless.

Further stretching this disparity is the leather lining that suggests a more unique fit overtime with wear. Underfoot lies the sole unit borrowed from the 860v2, arriving in off-white to complement the luxe, classy makeup of the upper it’s supporting.

A release date in North America hasn’t been disclosed by New Balance but the pair has seen a release in select overseas boutiques.

In other sneaker-related news, check out the Hender Scheme x The North Face Fall/Winter 2022 collection that includes two pairs of some cozy-looking footwear.