New Balance

New Balance Hosts Coco’s Court Pop-Up With Surprise Jaden Smith Performance

The brand celebrated the U.S. Open and its reigning champion Coco Gauff.

On Friday, New Balance threw a star-studded bash to celebrate the U.S. Open and its reigning champion Coco Gauff. The party kicked off a weekend-long popup in New York City called “Coco’s Court.” The events also surround the release of the athlete’s newest signature shoe with New Balance — the Coco CG2.

New Balance
Coco Gauff and Jaden Smith celebrate the athlete’s latest New Balance CocoCG2 sneaker in Flatiron, NYC

In iconic fashion, the evening started with a surprise performance from New Balance ambassador and Gauff’s good friend, Jaden Smith. Smith took to the stage to sing his hit song, “Icon,” also the player’s go-to pregame hype tune.

“I was definitely not expecting to be surprised by Jaden last night! I’m always listening to Icon to get myself hyped up before I play, so it was amazing to see him perform it live,” explains Gauff. “Being part of the New Balance family alongside him is really special to me, and I’m so grateful he came out to support me and the launch of my Coco CG2 last night.”

Guests were able to step into Coco’s world throughout the evening, enjoying all of the star’s favorite things from shopping her closet and the new Coco CG2 to trying to beat her at her favorite video games.

New Balance Coco CG2

The Coco CG2 sneaker launched August 20 in the brand’s signature “Power and Grace” colorway, featuring a clean white design with quarry blue, firefly yellow, and chrome blue accents. The style evolves and refines the court-ready performance of the Gauff’s debut shoe with the brand.

This second model takes inspiration from the 550s, one of the tennis phenom’s favorite styles, swapping the basketball on the woven tongue label for a tennis ball. A bold diamond-knit mesh on the collar, heel, and tongue plus triangular-patterned Ndure toe cap creates a geometric design and nod to Gauff’s favorite city, Paris, as well as stability and flexibility. Suede overlays on the saddle add a touch of fashion for appeal on and off the court. The style retails for $160 on the brand’s website.

An “Iconic” NYC Evening: Coco’s Court

The December 2024 Issue

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