Earlier this year, Puma announced the revival of its collaboration with Rihanna. Now the brand has given an official preview of the first sneaker in the Fenty x Puma range.
The “Avanti” sneaker was designed by the singer, who serves as creative director of the collaboration, and combines elements of two different Puma classics, the Herzogenaurach-based sportswear retailer announced on Friday. The singer’s love of football was the starting point for the design of the shoe.
The Avanti model was launched by Puma in 2001. The shoe is based on two other Puma models, the “King” football shoe, which has been worn by icons such as Pelé and Maradona, and the Easy Rider jogging shoe. Puma’s first designer collaboration, back then with Jil Sander, combined both designs in the designed “Jil Sander King” sneaker, which ultimately became the official template for the Avanti. Now Rihanna has given the shoe her own twist.
“It was an exciting start to our partnership,” said Maria Valdes, Chief Product Officer at Puma. “We spent time together opening the Puma archive and finding the right product that spoke to Rihanna.”
The restart of the partnership between Puma and Rihanna, which ran from 2015 to 2018, is planned to last several years. Various product launches are already being planned. The return of Fenty x Puma combines Puma’s long history and heritage in sports with Rihanna’s reputation as a leading figure in music, culture and fashion, Puma said.
The Avanti sneaker from Fenty x Puma will be available from September 15th on the sportswear retailer’s website and at selected retailers. A second version of the sneaker is expected to follow in autumn.