One of the most talked-about sneakers this year isn’t a limited-edition collaboration tied to an influential name or clothing brand. It’s an inline collection of shoes based on a silhouette that first released last year and is continuing with projects in 2022. The New Balance 2002R Protection Pack , as it’s been dubbed by retailers, is a trio of sneakers — grey, black, and white — that take the brand’s traditional suede sneaker look and remove chunks and layers of the upper. These sneakers have been circulating the internet all year, popping up randomly with little information. Interest was building, they looked great after all, but what was the story? Was it a collaboration or not? It was only known as an interesting take on the New Balance 2002R, a sneaker that was mostly popularized by a collaboration with former Versace designer Salehe Bembury. The sneakers were designed by Yue Wu, a 30-year-old New Balance employee who grew up in China before moving to the United States to earn his master's degree and study in the sneaker design program. Wu grew up listening to artists like Three 6 Mafia, DMX and Snoop Dogg and was introduced to basketball and sneaker culture when Yao Ming broke into the NBA in the early 2000s. He also liked New Balance sneakers like the 574 and 580, which he said were popular in China at the time. He had been working for the brand for over four years at the time, and the 2002 was his first attempt at designing lifestyle sneakers outside of products.
