Calling Urban Jungle Navigators: Stay Hyper Tech in the New Balance ABZORB 2000
are known for keeping true to their heritage and craftsmanship standards, but that safari never includes sacrifice – innovation and freshness trek through the NB catalogue no matter what. Boasting an archive that travels back to the turn of the last century (1906!), the Boston brand hold plenty of tech in their vault which is ready for reinterpretation and navigation into the future – like ABZORB.
In May, NB dropped the fresh-faced , a premium, classic and modern lifestyle model that reinterprets the 1990s tech, while staying loyal to signature panelling and aesthetic traits. NB have now transported ABZORB to Night City for a Cyberpunk-esque silhouette dubbed the ABZORB 2000, which hosts a full-length sole displaying the 1993 technology in all its glory.
‘The real challenge in designing the ABZORB 2000 was finding the right balance between heritage and modernity,' says Charlotte Lee, design manager at New Balance. ‘We wanted to amplify those iconic design cues, like the ABZORB SBS gel cushioning, but rework them through a contemporary lens. It’s that tension between the past and the present that really drives our design philosophy.’
Even without the tried-and-true ‘N’ branding along the lateral, it’s clear that the ABZORB 2000 is a New Balance shoe. The contouring and paneling evokes models like the , and , albeit altered to exude a future-forward, utopian aura constructed for the cityscape natives.
New Balance unveiled the ABZORB 2000 at Milan Design Week in April this year, also breaking down the design process – which incorporated 3D tools to craft the intricate midsole. Built for navigators of the concrete jungle, the hyper-tech build comprises a mostly mesh upper, along with reflective detailing, a printed overlay, and lateral and medial branding. Sitting below is the full-length ABZORB-cushioned sole unit, with segmented Stability Web shank and SBS pods. For the debut colourway NB have opted for an angelic blue, bolstered with silver and white hints.
You can get the New Balance ABZORB 2000 for $260 on June 12 via select stockists and through NB channels.