John Mayer Debuts the Salehe Bembury x New Balance 2002

Famed musician and noted footwear aficionado John Mayer has taken to his Instagram Stories to debut the Salehe Bembury x New Balance 2002. The style was originally teased by Bembury himself in April, but Mayer’s post serves as the general public’s first full look at the latest collaborative project from the adidas YEEZY allum and current Vice President of Sneaker and Men’s Footwear at Versace.

Although New Balance has been on a tear with heritage-geared models like the 992, 327 and 1300 in 2020, Bembury opted to tap the lesser-known 2002, a high-end running shoe that helped spearhead the brand’s performance lineup in the early aughts. Uppers offer an amalgamation of performance and lifestyle, retaining the 2002’s original mesh base but adding ultra-shaggy suedes that almost look like terry cloth to the overlays and supple leathers to the tongue.

An autumnal mix of yellow, orange and burgundy covers this assemblage. Pops of baby blue on the midfoot’s N logo and the Bembury-branded hit running down the throat add further flair. Midsoles split between speckled white and burgundy foam on the lateral side and yellow gel cushioning on the lateral side for a mix of support, style and stability. Two-tone rubber outsoles finalize the look.

Release and pricing information for this color-coated 2002 has yet to be announced, but it’s likely to arrive later this summer or during the fall. Bembury also teased two collaborative ANTA silhouettes — a trail sneaker and a boot-like hybrid silhouette — earlier in the year as well

For more NB news, check out crisp “Geometric” takes on the 1500 and 920.