The New Balance 2002R Cheetah is a Courir exclusive that brings a distinctive animal print treatment to New Balance’s chunky 2000s-revival silhouette. This is the U2002RCP colorway, and it’s a pretty straightforward execution of the concept: cheetah patterning across the upper in place of New Balance’s standard color blocking.
The 2002R sits in that sweet spot where New Balance’s heritage running DNA meets contemporary sneaker culture. The shoe has the bulky proportions and visible midsole tech that made the original 2002 a staple, but the 2002R version came out recently enough to benefit from updated construction and more refined colorway options. With the cheetah print, you get something a little more adventurous than the typical grey and navy pairs floating around.
Being a Courir exclusive means availability is limited to that retailer, so if you want this particular version, you’re looking at a specific lane rather than picking it up everywhere. The retail price sits at $183, which is standard territory for the 2002R model.
The cheetah print works better than you might expect on this chunky shape. The pattern breaks up what could otherwise be a pretty heavy silhouette, and it keeps the shoe from feeling too dad-shoe serious. If you’re into the retro running aesthetic but want something with a bit more personality than the default colorways, this exclusive offers that without going overboard on the design. Fair warning: cheetah print is cheetah print, so this isn’t the shoe if you’re chasing understated.