Kawhi Leonard’s Getting Flamed After Pulling Up In These Bape x 2002R New Balance Shoes

Don’t look now, but the Los Angeles Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. It is no coincidence that Los Angeles’ winning streak coincides with the dominant play of small forward Kawhi Leonard.

On Saturday night, Leonard led his team to victory over the New York Knicks with an efficient 38 points. The 2x NBA Finals MVP also used the opportunity to rock two rare pairs of New Balance shoes.

Before Saturday night’s game in Los Angeles, Leonard wore the Bape x New Balance 2002R shoes. The lifestyle shoes were released in May 2021 for $222. Fans can now purchase the shoes at a higher resale price on the StockX website.

The aggressive colorway was designed as part of a collaboration between New Balance and streetwear company Bape. The classic silhouette features unmistakable nods to Bape’s branding.

While the New Balance 2002R was originally released in 2010, the running model has recently regained its popularity thanks to collaborations with designer Salehe Bembury, Korea’s Thisisneverthat, along with many others. Continuing its momentum into 2021, the sneaker has scored another huge collab.

This time, New Balance has teamed up with legendary streetwear brand Bape to release two new 2002R colorways. The unreleased collab was initially spotted on the feet of Kawhi Leonard at the NBA All-Star Weekend tunnel this past Sunday in a predominantly grey colorway featuring Bape’s signature camo print on the mesh underlays. In addition to the version worn by Leonard, @NewBalance_Gallery on Instagram also shared teaser shots of a second green-based color scheme. Adding to the design is Bape’s shark teeth print covering the shoe’s heel counter along with New Balance’s gel cushioning system at the heel of the midsole.

While early images of the two Bape x New Balance 2002R styles have surfaced, the release info has not yet been confirmed by the brands. Stay tuned to Sole Collector for updates.

UPDATE (05/20): Bape has officially confirmed that its two New Balance 2002R collabs are dropping this Saturday, May 22 exclusively at Bape’s web store and at its retail locations globally for 24,200 yen, which converts to $222.