Coco Gauff's run at the 2025 US Open may be over, but her allegiance to New Balance? Not in the slightest. On September 1, the 21-year-old lost to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round singles match wearing head-to-toe New Balance. Hours after her final bow, Gauff swapped her tennis shoes for chunky sneakers during a post-match pick-me-up in New York.
Since her brand ambassadorship began in 2018, Gauff has been a New Balance girl on and off the court. For proof, see the athlete in New Balance's 1906R model outside Manhattan's Peninsula New York Hotel. Last night, Gauff took a page out of Jennifer Lawrence and Taylor Swift's book with the $155 trainers in the metallic silver colorway.
Named the "cousin to the 2002R and the 860v2" by the Boston brand, the uppers are mostly white mesh, while the ultra-heightened outsoles are black rubber. Reflective silver trimming lined the toe boxes and arches, similar to Hailey Bieber's 530s.
Though she's a tennis legend by day, Gauff goes full It-girl mode after dark. She paired her statement sneakers with wide-leg jeans in a nostalgic, light-wash finish. A white tank top was the perfect partner for her denim.
It was surprisingly chilly in New York last night. Given the under-70° forecast, Gauff layered a leather bomber jacket on top. Similar outerwear dominated the street style scene last fall—Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid co-signed the trend. But now, Gauff made a strong case for its comeback, perhaps inspired by Fall 2025 lines from Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Isabel Marant, and Stella McCartney.
The New Balance 1906s have been around since 2009, with Gauff's 1906Rs launching in 2022. Even so, they're having a moment among celebrities—specifically on New York's style circuit. In April, Greta Lee was spotted in Gauff's metallic silver 1906Rs, plus baggy khaki pants. Her Loewe Flamenco purse fulfilled the "high" portion of her high-low look.
A few months earlier, Jennifer Lawrence revived the silhouette from her summer 2024 rotation. Leaning into her fashion girl persona, she chose a $300 pair from New Balance's Aimé Leon Dore collaboration. They featured the same metallic detailing as Gauff's, except with green lining.
Back in Oct. 2023, Taylor Swift even gave the 1906Rs a go. Her green-and-yellow trainers hailed from New Balance's collection with Ganni, making them just as tricky to track down as Lawrence's. They sold out in minutes—as most Swift-approved pieces do. However, keep tabs on secondhand sites. Sometimes, when I least expect it, they pop up for upwards of $300.
At this point, the 1906Rs are clearly a sneakerhead staple—hence my surprise at their still-available status. If they're anything like the 530s, another celebrity-favorite model, Gauff's shoes will be everywhere (except store shelves) in no time.
