Cooper Flagg has his first exclusive sneaker with New Balance, and his home state of Maine is front and center in the design.
New Balance announced the release of its new Hesi Low v2 x Cooper Flagg, a version of the footwear and apparel company’s existing low-top and lightweight basketball shoe.
The new Flagg-exclusive version of the shoe features a color scheme designed as an homage to Flagg’s Maine roots.
“Taking inspiration from the vast greenery of Maine, the shoe is infused with subtle green accents that echo the state’s natural landscape,” New Balance said in its Thursday announcement. “Details throughout the silhouette nod to the trees and lush nature that define Maine, offering a fresh, organic feel.”
Flagg grew up in Newport and won a Maine state basketball championship there at Nokomis Regional High School before taking his meteoric career to a top Florida prep school, Duke University and now the NBA. New Balance has a production facility not too far from Newport in Skowhegan.
“I’m taking the next step in my career, but I’m always going to be a product of my hometown in Maine,” Flagg said in the New Balance announcement. “Working with the New Balance design team on this has been really cool and it allows me to take a piece of Newport with me as I step onto the court for my first official NBA game.”
The Cooper Flagg version of New Balance’s Hesi Low v2 features a color scheme that pays tribute to Flagg’s home state of Maine. Credit: Courtesy of New Balance
The Cooper Flagg version of New Balance’s Hesi Low v2 features a color scheme that pays tribute to Flagg’s home state of Maine. Credit: Courtesy of New Balance
The new sneaker launch also included a video on Instagram and photos showing Flagg in a garage with stacks of boxes full of the shoes. The car in that garage sports a Maine license plate with the now-retired chickadee design that says “FL4GG” on it. Another classic Maine license plate with a lobster design can also be seen on the wall in that garage.
Flagg will officially launch his NBA career next week, as his Dallas Mavericks team starts the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 22 against the San Antonio Spurs.
He signed a significant endorsement deal with New Balance in 2024, and the company was on hand in Newport during NBA draft night to help Flagg’s hometown celebrate that unprecedented moment.
That included several workers at the New Balance facility in Skowhegan.
“It’s really a big deal, especially where he’s from Maine, and born and raised here,” New Balance worker Eddie Cabassa told the Bangor Daily News that night about the connection between the company and Flagg. “It meshes, you know what I mean.”
New Balance only manufactures some of its shoes domestically, and the Hesi Low v2 is not listed on the company’s website among its “Made in USA” collection. A spokesperson for New Balance confirmed that the Flagg version of the shoe is not made in Maine.
The new Flagg version of the Hesi Low v2 will be available starting the day of Flagg’s NBA debut on Wednesday, and will cost $119.99.