Sneaker Tribe KAWHI "New Money" Review

This week, we are reviewing New Balance’s KAWHI, the first official signature sneaker by NB featuring NBA superstar, LA Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is a 2-time NBA Champion (with the Spurs and Raptors) and the 2019-20 All-Star Game MVP. Not only have his skills set him apart from other basketball players, his choice of partnering up with New Balance (instead of the usual Nike, Adidas or Air Jordan partnerships) is also a step in a different direction. Let’s see if the KAWHI lives up to the dollar signs that it boasts! 

The shoe is in size US9.5 in ‘New Money’ colorway.

Design

We noticed that the ‘100’ printed on each tongue of the shoe are in different fonts and colours. The left tongue has gold print while the right tongue has green print, which represents different 100 US dollar bills. Its colorway is exactly what its name suggests – various shades of a bluish green and complimentary gold which is certainly what a hundred-dollar bill would look like if it became a shoe. The gold embroidery on the sides and tongues further emphasizes the money theme. This concept is meant to represent Leonard’s understanding of working hard aka “grind” to become successful.

The eyelets on the front of the shoes are printed with 2s, which is Leonard’s jersey number in the NBA. On the bottom of the soles are the words ‘In Kawhi We Trust’, with a clever tongue-in-cheek twist on America’s motto found on their dollar bills.

To sum it up, these shoes hold a lot of symbolism in its design that is specific to Kawhi Leonard as a person and player. 

Usage  

Let’s get into the pros first. As you can see from the soles, its traction is spot on. The shoes provided ample protection and had enough cushioning for us to land jumps comfortably without being too thick. 

However, there are 2 cons – weight and width. The KAWHIs are on the heavier side, which may not be optimal for those who prefer being lighter on their feet. The shoes also have a wider width, leading to a fit that is less snug for those who have narrow feet. 

Despite all these, we believe that the shoe functions beautifully and its merits fully make up for it. 

Is it worth the money? 

We believe that the KAWHIs are well worth its retail price of SGD229 because of its creative yet sleek design, as well as the comfort that it provides. What makes it even better is its impressive traction that is comparable to more established signature shoes.

Speaking of dollars and cents, don’t miss out on the 20% discount that you can get off these shoes at any Limited Edt store in Singapore. All you have to do is show them that you’ve watched this KAWHI review posted on our YouTube channel!*

Summary 

The KAWHI ranks high amongst all the shoes that we’ve tried. In terms of comfort on court, they are comparable to Jordans and Iversons. These shoes definitely do live up to its name and we can see how they are fit for someone as legendary as Kawhi Leonard himself. 

To see the shoes in action, the video version of this review is on our YouTube channel here: [insert link] 

*The 20% discount is valid up to 30 September 2021 or while stocks last.