Under the lights in New York City a year ago, Coco Gauff evolved from a promising teen phenom into a Grand Slam champion with her victory at the 2023 US Open.
When she returns to Arthur Ashe Stadium to defend her crown, her signature shoes will also have “evolved” with her, as New Balance announced the second edition of her signature shoe: The Coco CG2.
In the same way that the CG1’s distinctive high profile took its inspiration from basketball, the new CG2 was influenced by New Balance’s 550s, right down to the details—with Gauff cheekily swapping the familiar basketball on the tongue label for a tennis ball.
“The 550 is one of my favorite shoes to wear off the court. It’s so classic and I love its ’90s-inspired basketball influence,” Gauff recently told Complex. “The basketball stitching on the tongue is one of my favorite details. I wanted to bring this into the CG2 while making it unique to me, so we put a tennis ball instead.”
Another familiar personal detail carries over into the second model of the shoe—but this one asks wearers to take a closer look. While the CG1s kept the designs close to home with her dad’s famous phrase, “You can change the world with your racket” inscribed on one shoe and the coordinates of her childhood courts on another, the CG2’s evolution features a cleaner Coco-inspired design.
The word “Power” can be found on the back of the left shoe woven label, “Grace” on the right shoe woven label and her initials “CG” are etched on the pivot point.
The shoes also feature geometric-shaped design, stability and flexibility—a nod to the architecture of Gauff’s favorite city Paris, where she reached her first Grand Slam final in 2022. Suede overlays keep the shoe stylish for off-court wear, while its responsive Energy Arc technology ensures its on-court explosiveness too.
“I had as much fun designing and collaborating on the CG2 as I did with the CG1,” the 20-year-old said in a statement.
“My relationship with the New Balance team is incredible, and I’m excited to see what people think of the evolution of this shoe!”
The New Balance Coco CG2 launched with the “Power and Grace” colorway on August 21st.
TENNIS.COM
