This New Balance 2002R Can Carry Cargo

Why don’t more sneakers have pockets? There doesn’t really seem to be a definitive answer, but New Balance are entertaining a world where shoes have storage via the 2002R, on which they’ve attached a useful lace pouch.

It’s not the first time NB have done this; a with the same feature came out last year, and so did the colab from 2019. This new release is the converse of the 2022 version, as it’s mesh-heavy and uses a brighter, white-and-green palette. Perhaps this is the summer complement.

Of course, the unique selling point here is the aforementioned stash pouch. It’s a dainty, diamond-shaped zippered pocket made of ripstop nylon threaded through the bottom and top lace rows. Coins, keys – maybe a small snack – will fit with ease, but a phone or other electronics are best stored elsewhere.

This New Balance 2002R is available now from 43einhalb.