Throughout the last decade, New Balance has had a keen eye when it comes to finding collaborators from those who aren’t on the radar of the general public. Teaming up with a sneaker boutique from the Land Down Under, NB and Up There brought us a 2002R earlier this year that paid homage to hanging out in the backyard with family and friends with the “Backyard Legends” colorway, however, the two aren’t stopping there. As teased by Up There itself and through leaked images from uptodate.tokyo, the series will continue with a “Backyard Legends II” coming to us soon.
Unlike the original “Backyard Legends” colorway, this second iteration forgoes the green shades and earth tones in favor of a contrasting burgundy and white throughout the upper. These burgundy hits appear on the suede toecap and midfoot panel while a jersey-like mesh takes over around the heel and on the front half of the midfoot. Below all of this sits a combination of white suede and white mesh, maintaining its typical placement you’d find on any ordinary 2002R release, however, Up There makes its mark through the “New Balance AU” branding atop the waffle-like tongue. Providing another pop of color, the collar hosts a leather panel in a muted yellow hue that matches both the TPU eyelet nearby and portions of the rubber outsole below. Rounding out the look is the white ABZORB cushioned midsole paired with the aforementioned rubber outsole.
The Up There x New Balance 2002R Backyard Legends II is set to release on December 9th, 2022 exclusively through Up There in-store while a worldwide release will take place online at uptherestore.com on December 10th, 2022 at 8 AM AEDT (December 9th, 2022 at 4:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT). Releasing in men’s sizing, the retail price is set at $250 AUD (approx $170 USD). Keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on release info for this followup Up There x NB collab and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Up There x New Balance 2002R “Backyard Legends II”
Images via uptodate
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
