The NBA All-Star Game went down last night, giving us a good look at some new and exciting sneakers releasing throughout the year. Among them was The Clipper’s Kawhi Leonard, rocking the first pair of his to-be-released signature New Balance, the KAWHI.
Kawhi Leonard’s partnership with New Balance kicked off last year, when the current Clipper announced he would be one of the first to sign to the slowly reemerging dormant Hoops division of New Balance. The two were a match made in heaven, if the last year has shown us anything, like the massively popular releases of both Kawhi’s on and off-court sneakers. However, after using New Balance’s signature OMN1S all year, the small forward/shooting guard finally has his own signature model to show off, aptly titled The KAWHI.
Debuted during the NBA’s All-Star Game last night, the New Balance KAWHI is one of the most enticing performance basketball shoes I’ve seen in a while. The silhouette comes in a mid cut, featuring numerous layers of varying materials for what I can only assume is a strong, supportive sneaker to withstand the strength of Leonard. The upper is constructed from a mesh base, with taped reinforcement along the mudguard, while the quarter panels feature a patterned embroidery that likely stiffens the mid section of the shoe. The heel is locked into place by a large plastic TPU shank on either side, that also wraps around the back to show off oversized “NB” branding.
Kawhi Leonard’s first-ever signature sneaker with New Balance, titled the KAWHI, is not ready to begin its release rollout until this Spring, when it will drop in limited numbers. Later this year, in the Fall, the KAWHI will return in widespread availability. However, no dates have been given for either release, as well as price tag. In the meantime, check out New Balance’s official photos below for a better look, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more New Balance release news.
