LaMelo Ball debuts his first lifestyle shoe in the Puma LaFrancé – Andscape

After releasing three basketball shoes for hoops enthusiasts, Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball is finally able to take his style off the court. Ball and Puma will release LaFrancé on May 17. For Ball’s first lifestyle shoe, which also bears the name of his lifestyle fashion brand, he and Puma collaborated to create something that spoke to who he was and what inspired him.

The LaFrancé incorporates a chunky silhouette, thick laces and exaggerated proportions, drawing inspiration from skateboard footwear from the ’90s and 2000s. The upper ovals feature butterfly-inspired patterns, symbolizing Ball’s “1 of 1” motto. The shoe also features lots of Ball’s tattoos, equivalent to “Heem” and flames embroidered on the toe. The LF logo appears on the soles and tongues.

While the lifestyle section of the shoe store could also be a brand new frontier for Ball, LaFrancé, and specifically the “Amour” colorway, is nothing latest for the Charlotte guard. All of his previous on-court shoes, from the MB .01 to the MB .03, reflect Ball’s individuality. In the latest lifestyle shoes, Ball and the brand used the color in the same way as his basketball shoes and gave it his personality.

“If you know Melo, you know he does everything in a big way. From the chain to the logo to the car, the dude lives in style! So we had to create a silhouette that fit that profile,” Noah Bice, the Puma Hoops designer who worked on LaFrancé, said in a press release.

In a way, that made him and Puma an ideal match. This legendary brand once managed hardwood. Players like Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Isiah Thomas wore Pumas with great success. The company then left and returned in 2018. Puma signed Ball as a rookie in 2020 and made him the first athlete to receive a signature sneaker since his hiatus. Their history demanded something big, and the former Rookie of the Year delivered, starting in his first NBA game. “Melo has definitely helped a lot,” said Jeremy Sallee, Puma’s head of basketball design in 2022. “And his personality is ideal for being the brand’s chief guest. It was truly a godsend.

“Amour” matches the mold of somebody who believes they arrive from one other world. It’s draped in fiery red and is inconceivable to miss. More importantly, it seems inconceivable to confuse it with one other shoe. “Amour” is the first of many colorways to be released.

“Mild. Crazy. Colorful. Rare.” That’s how the former All-Star described his latest sneaker. The LaFrancé sneaker is a component of a set that features apparel — graphic tees, a mesh tank, shorts and sweatpants.

The first version of Puma LaFrancé will likely be available at Puma.comPuma NYC flagship store, Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs and choose retailers worldwide.