M2002RXC - GORE-TEX®

At a glance you might mistake these as a restock on the original New Balance 2002 colourway, back around for another drop at the end of the year. If you know what to look for though, you might notice a few differences...

For starters the mesh is different to the original 2002, it's a bit coarser – reminiscent of the mesh on the second Backyard Legends actually. You'll also spot the lack of metallic silver panels, one of the features on the OG that we weren't super keen on to begin with. Instead the uppers are almost entirely made from soft Castlerock pigskin suede. So in reality these are a slightly updated (arguably improved) version of the OG colourway. Except... What's that little tag near the heel? Does that say what I think it says?

Yep that's the recognisable tag known around the world – GORE-TEX®. The company whose slogan is "guaranteed to keep you dry" has provided their signature waterproof membrane to this 2002R. How is that useful on a pair of shoes that are made from a fabric famous for hating water? Stop overthinking, it's GORE-TEX!