Everything seems to be falling in place for New Balance, and it’s been a long time coming. Whether it’s the market’s palate shifting towards the vintage, worn-out aesthetic; the oversized, maximalist dad shoe trend; or the integration of more ‘science’ into modern sneaker design; New Balance has been on top of these things. Embodying this element is the titular 2002R GORE-TEX.

The silhouette has been at the vanguard of New Balance’s offerings, as of late and this upcoming release perpetuates the status quo.

The pre-worn motif is almost synonymous with the brand by now, as its reapplied to most of the upper’s shadow grey suede overlays. The mesh fabric—with blue undertones—underlines the construction as dark copper accents the pair on the mudguard, collar, tongue fastener, and eye stays. The aforementioned blue undertones reappear on the GORE-TEX branding on the mudguard as well as the model’s name on the collar. Underfoot, the aged aesthetic comes full circle through the stonewashed, eroded outsole.

There’re no release details attached to the pair at the time of writing. But while we wait, consider the Nike Zoom Vomero 5 “Wheat Grass”. It might just be your cup of tea.