Boston, MA November 10, 2020 – Global athletic leader New Balance, together with Team New Balance Basketball Athlete and NBA star Kawhi Leonard reveal the next colorway of the athletes’ signature shoe, The KAWHI Seismic MOMENT. The latest color was first worn by Kawhi during the 2020 NBA All-Star Game where he captured the KIA NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award. The colorful basketball shoe draws inspiration from the earthquake that hit the Los Angeles-area on the same day he signed with LA Clippers, sending shockwaves across the league and forever changing the NBA landscape.
The entire collection, including the KAWHI Seismic Moment signature shoe, retro 327 lifestyle silhouette and assorted apparel will be available on NewBalance.com starting Wednesday, November 11th, with the suggested retail price ranging from $35 for the t-shirt, $90 for the 327 and $160 for the KAWHI signature shoe.
Designed in consultation with Kawhi, the KAWHI Seismic Moment is built around his power and versatility. It features Kawhi specific design elements like 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, Kawhi’s hometown. The KAWHI Seismic Moment sole unit sports a Richter scale design, in reference to the 7.1 earthquake that occurred on the same day Kawhi made his decision to go to the LA Clippers.
The KAWHI can be used on and off court, packing in performance tech like the FuelCell midsole, providing the ultimate energy return and support to stay explosive throughout the game. A full-length performance plate, a first for New Balance, is designed specifically for Kawhi’s cutting, jumping and stability in mind. The upper is engineered with Kinetic Stich, a data-driven thread application for tuned upper lock down and support where players need it most.
“Kawhi wanted to honor his hometown and the monumental decision to come home and play there,” explained Jonathan Grondin, New Balance’s Design Director for Basketball. “We used the earthquake to drive the design, even looking to the shake map for the sole unit. Kawhi’s decision to come home shook the hoops world and this design pays homage to that important moment.”
The KAWHI is durable enough to hold up to an independent style of play, and smooth enough to wear home. Play the game your way in the KAWHI.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. Manufactured in the U.S. for over 75 years and representing a limited portion of our U.S. sales, New Balance Made U.S. is a premium collection that contains a domestic value of 70% or greater. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 6,000 associates around the globe, and in 2019 reported worldwide sales of $4.0 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.
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