New Balance is digging into the early 2000s once again, emerging with the Abzorb 2000 “Limelight Dry Lime” (stylecode U2000858): a Y2K runner in vivid lime green with black accents. The brand’s archives are starting to look like a bottomless mine – the only question is how much gold is still left in them.
Y2K, episode who-knows-how-many
The sneaker industry has rediscovered the turn-of-the-millennium era and hasn’t let go since. Every week, another “forgotten classic” is unearthed somewhere, complete with a press release that uses the word “archive” suspiciously often. It’s enough to make you sceptical – it certainly does me. But the Abzorb 2000 has one thing going for it: the layered panels and technical aesthetic of that era genuinely represent one of the more interesting chapters in sneaker history. If we’re going to recycle anything, it might as well be this.
Lime on black: bold, but balanced
The “Limelight Dry Lime” edition dresses the shoe in vivid lime green, offset by black. That sounds like a shoe that enters the room before you do, and that’s only partly wrong – the black keeps things grounded, making the overall look more sporty and mischievous than clownish. The Abzorb cushioning that gives the model its name also does exactly what it promises: this is a shoe that walks more comfortably than the average retro. That deserves mentioning in an era when looks usually beat function.
What does nostalgia cost these days?
The more interesting question is the price. Unearthed silhouettes like this one occupy an awkward segment: too new to have established classic status, yet too conspicuous for the safe-choice shopper. That usually means prices vary from one retailer to the next and – for those willing to wait – attractive discounts further down the line. Prices currently start at [sz_price_from stylecode=”U2000858″]. A bright green shoe is also rarely the pair to sell out first, so there’s no need to panic-buy here. Let the market do its thing.
The final verdict
The Abzorb 2000 “Limelight Dry Lime” is made for a specific audience: anyone who embraces Y2K aesthetics and isn’t afraid to wear colour. For that buyer, this is one of the more convincing retro revivals around right now – with genuine cushioning rather than just a good story. For everyone else: there are plenty of grey New Balances out there. If you’re interested, it’s worth comparing prices and sizes across retailers through Solezilla, where you can see which seller offers [sz_price_from stylecode=”U2000858″]. Nostalgia shouldn’t have to cost more than necessary.