Rihanna reveals the return of Fenty X Puma with a soccer-inspired sneaker – The Hollywood Reporter
Rihanna has officially teamed up with Puma once again to launch a new line of shoes.
The brand unveiled the Puma Avanti sneaker on Thursday, part of a soccer-inspired collection Shoe News’ September cover. “Football is a universal language that brings people together around the world and from all walks of life, and I wanted to pay tribute to that,” Rihanna told the publication.
In March, following the superstar’s highly anticipated return to the stage at the Super Bowl, Puma announced her return by writing on social media, “She’s back,” with the Fenty and Puma logos side by side.
Rihanna first joined the company in 2015, serving as creative director and global ambassador. She later stepped down in 2017 to focus on expanding her Fenty empire, including Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty.
When it comes to this line, the superstar looked into Puma’s 75-year archive and ultimately chose the Avanti based on his interpretation of the King boot worn by Brazilian soccer star Pelé in his 1970 World Cup victory. So it was only understandable for Rihanna, as a long-time football fan, to be interested in the shoe.
“It’s always incredible to go through Puma’s archives,” Rihanna said recently told Fashion their design process. “There is so much history and heritage here and I wanted to honor that by paying tribute to the Avanti. [The King is] The shoe that Pelé played in and made very famous, and I know people are looking forward to its return.”
The unisex sneaker costs $160 and will be available not only in all adult sizes, but also in children’s sizes – which was important to Rihanna. “We needed to expand the line to children so the whole family could participate,” she said FN.
She told it too Fashion that “returning to Puma as a mother in a new environment allowed for new perspectives and ideas.”
The line launches on September 15th on Puma.com and at select retailers worldwide. A second Avanti drop is also expected later this fall.
