New Balance’s ‘Sold Out’ ABZORB 2000 Returns

Charlotte Lee is a veteran designer behind some of New Balance’s best sneakers, and she’s onto another sold-out success with the ABZORB 2000 (AUD$260). Her greatest hits include the WRPD Runner, 530, 1000, and viral 1906L sneaker loafer, but she spent three times longer designing the new ABZORB 2000 than she would a typical New Balance lifestyle sneaker. With a sold-out first release and a second general release coming Thursday, 10 July 2025, it’s looking like it was time well spent.

This new futuristic model continues where the James Lee and Yue Wu-designed New Balance 9060 left off. That “retrofuturism” 9060 sneaker appeared out of thin air and emerged as a successful model for the brand, and while it’s hard to dismiss how much it has done for changing the narrative around chunky dad shoes, the ABZORB 2000 walks a different path with a host of futuristic touches.

The sneaker has a whiff of the Nike Air Max Scorpion at first glance, but this is all New Balance. Lee turned to abandoned NB technology known as ABZORB SBS for inspiration, but it’s not the only piece of technology. She also leaned on the virtual reality tool “Gravity Sketch” to look at the model in 3D and bring intricate details to areas of the shoe, reducing the amount of TPU waste that would traditionally go into a design like this. With two new colourways of the shoe launching imminently, let’s take a closer look!

New Balance ABZORB 2000 Launch Information

• Release date: Thursday, 10 July 2025
• Price: AUD$260
• Colourways:
  • White with Silver Metallic and Castlerock
  • Black with Dark Silver Metallic and Light Chrome Blue
• Where to buy: available from newbalance.com.au and select global retailers

The launch colour—Still Water with Blue Agate—is a highlight, but as Riley Jones from WWD rightly pointed out, it looks like it’s out of a video game.

“We wanted something that felt futuristic and progressive but still rooted in our DNA,” said Paul Kaseumsouk, general manager of lifestyle, inline and speed at New Balance, in an interview with Footwear News. “It’s about evolving the brand’s aesthetic without losing what makes it distinct. You can still find subtle nods to our heritage in the detailing and craftsmanship, but the overall design was meant to break the mould and signal a bold step forward.”

Interestingly, this is the first 2000s-inspired silhouette for Lee. “I was like, ‘Is this really the right shoe for me to be doing?’ And actually everyone got to saying, ‘Yeah, because you’re taking a new spin on it, keep on going,’” she said in an interview with WWD. “Then at the end, I kind of stood back and was like, ‘Wow. Yeah, OK.’”

While its unconventional design is the obvious drawcard, maybe the most impressive thing about the New Balance ABZORB 2000 was its roll-out.

No big names, stars, celebrities, or influencers. It was simply shared in a post by Brazilian stylist Gustavo Soares to his 10,000 followers before it was picked up by sneaker publishers and later in Milan Design Week in partnership with retailer Slam Jam. The next move, however, will be bigger.

Chicago’s Joe Freshgoods is cooking up an all-over pink pair, and while details are scarce, expect to see more of these during the upcoming Paris Fashion Week from Tuesday, June 24th to Sunday, June 29th 2025. Stay tuned for more collaborations of the New Balance A and GR colourways to roll out as the ABZORB 2000 hits retailers and online stores around the world in the coming months.