New Balance Serve Up a ‘Sweet Caramel’ 2002R

News of this release was first published on March 8, 2022.

Update May 11, 2022: After hitting international retailers earlier this year, this New Balance 2002R is beginning to land in other global regions, such as Up There in Australia.

Given the fact that it’s one of their best-selling sneakers at the moment, it’s unlikely New Balance are going to stop releasing 2002R colourways any time soon. And fans of the model will be all the more grateful for it, especially if the brand drops combos like this ‘Sweet Caramel’.

The 2002R is now very much a lifestyle shoe, so it gets colours and materials that wouldn’t have ever been specced during its performance running days. This ‘Sweet Caramel’ is a tasty shade of tan suede, appearing on the majority of the upper. The remaining inserts use the classic NB colour that is ‘Rain Cloud’, AKA grey. Some sneakerheads may draw parallels between this colourway and the Packer 992 collaboration, but the 2002R silhouette is distinct enough to delineate itself from any close relatives.

Of course, there are still plenty of performance elements that ensure the 2002R is still a comfortable shoe after over a decade since its debut. The new midsoles have a mix of ABZORB and Stability Web for cushioning and support respectively – walking is just slow running, so these should be plenty comfy.

The New Balance 2002R ‘Sweet Caramel’ is available now from NB in select regions, but expect wider availability in coming weeks.