Every time the New Year rolls around, we can expect footwear brands to throw the current year's Chinese Zodiac sign on multiple pairs of kicks. While we’ve seen other brands renditions of the “Year of the Rabbit” for the last few weeks, atmos Japan has just unveiled New Balance’s upcoming Lunar New Year-inspired pack of sneakers that include models like the 9060, 574, 2002R, and 550.
Across these four silhouettes, we get eight different colorways with the 2002R receiving three looks, the 9060 getting a single colorway, and the final two (574 and 550) coming in two styles. Most pairs remain in the realm of neutral shades with plenty of creams, greys, tans, and whites gracing the premium suedes and leathers on each respective pair. Our only two offerings that deviate from this color palette are the earth tone-covered 2002R and wine red 574. One of the most notable pairs is the grey 2002R that appears in the form of a “Protection Pack” release, covered in jagged and stripped-down suede panels across its upper. Although none of the sneakers in the pack directly reference the holiday or Zodiac sign, the color palette thoughtfully conveys the celebration that will take place on January 22nd, 2023.
The entire New Balance Lunar New Year collection is set to release on January 2nd, 2023 through select retailers globally online and in-store. Coming in men’s sizing, the retail prices vary between $105 USD to $170. Keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via atmos Tokyo
New Balance 550 Lunar New Year “Sail”
New Balance 550 Lunar New Year “Tan”
New Balance 2002R Lunar New Year “Grey”
New Balance 2002R Lunar New Year “Cream”
New Balance 2002R Lunar New Year “Brown”
New Balance 574 Lunar New Year “Tan”
New Balance 574 Lunar New Year “Red”
New Balance 9060 Lunar New Year “White”
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Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com