New Balance and Kawhi Leonard unveiled the debut colorway of his signature shoe, The KAWHI. Dubbed “4 bounces” , it is inspired by one of the two most memorable moments of the 2019 playoffs ( the other being the Achilles tear heard around the league), Kawhi’s game 7 buzzer beater against the Philadelphia 76ers that tantalisingly bounced on the rim repeatedly before finally dropping through and sending the Raptots to the conference Finals.
According to a release from New Balance, the design incorporates ”several Kawhi specific elements”, that includes “corn-row inspired embossing on the collar strap, his accolades on the top of the tongue, eyelets that resemble his 1964 classic car and a quilted heel tab that also pays homage to his classic ride. The heel also features an M and the latitude and longitude coordinates that locate the center of Moreno Valley, CA where Kawhi is from.
The debut colorway was taken from that of the OMN1S that Kawhi was wearing when he hit the shot.
New Balance Design Director Jonathan Grondin had this to say about the new model:
“The KAWHI 4 Bounces is a highly technical basketball shoe designed with Kawhi and meant to be worn on the court or the street. Starting with a blank white board and sketching and ideating with Kawhi has allowed us to infuse every colorway with his personal touches. The KAWHI 4 Bounces features a retro aesthetic built on a high-performance foundation.”
There will also be an associated collection that in addition to The KAHWI, included the New Balance 850, slides and assorted apparel. The collection will be available August 20 on newbalance.com.
