08.09.2023
Ah, that epic Super Bowl Half-time Show by a very preggers Rihanna now feels like a distant memory. That was just a mere seven months ago. She looked happy, like she was there for the football rather than putting on a song-and-dance of a lifetime. But apparently, that was just a fling. In comparison, have you seen Rihanna watch a game of soccer, the other sport known by most around the world as football? Well, let's just say that the FIFA World Cup in 2014 was as much the Rihanna Show as it was about Germany lifting the big prize. The Barbadian was cheering on the Germans like her life depended on it. For full disclosure, 2014 was also the year RiRi became the creative director of Puma, the German sportswear label, which kind of explains her allegiances that year. Many years removed, Rihanna's return to the Puma fold in 2023 is perhaps the fashion gods at work. After being snapped by the paps donning a pair of Puma sneakers over the course of the summer, it led many to speculate if that would be her first release to mark her reintegration into the Puma fam. Today, Puma has confirmed that those Avanti sneakers are indeed the first drop of this collab, which also reaffirms RiRi's undying love for the sport (sorry, NFL). Rihanna's reason for this launch is simple: "I wanted to bring something iconic from the archives to the street, and the late great Pelé made the Avanti shoe so iconic.” And it must be noted as well that RiRi first met the late football legend before the aforementioned 2014 finals in Brazil. (Like we said, there are no coincidences.) This Avanti sneaker, which has the embroidered leather upper of a football cleat with an old-school tongue, is matched with a pebbled gum sole perfect for everyday wear. Rihanna's treatment of these sneakers don't necessarily differ much from standard releases except for the Fenty co-sign on the heel and tongue. There are two remixes available for this release, one in classic black-and-white and another in all-over chrome leather. Most importantly for the new mom is that these sneakers are available in sizes for the whole family. Mark down September 15.
