Puma Gives RJ Barrett Player Exclusive Shoes
Out of the big-three freshmen on the Duke Blue Devils 2018-19 men's basketball team, RJ Barrett has had the most productive NBA career thus far. The New York Knicks small forward averaged 20 points per game last season and is poised to increase his production this year.
Puma recognized Barret's potential before he played professionally and signed him to a multi-year sneaker deal in 2018. Now the German sportswear company is further elevating Barrett's status in the league with a player-exclusive (PE) shoe.
The 22-year-old has not yet earned a signature sneaker line like Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball or Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart. However, a player-exclusive shoe is the next best thing in the footwear world.
The company specifically designs a colorway of an existing shoe to honor everything an athlete has achieved on the court. Below is everything fans need to know about Barrett's new Puma shoes.
Puma Fusion Nitro 'RJ'
View of the Puma Fusion Nitro 'RJ Barrett PE'
Puma
The Puma Fusion Nitro is a performance basketball shoe which originally released in 2021. Over the past year, Puma has remixed the Fusion Nitro in various colorways while keeping the technology incorporated in the shoe the same.
Barrett's version of the shoe is called the Puma Fusion Nitro 'RJ'. The left shoe is red and white, which pays tribute to Barrett's Candian heritage. The right shoe is blue and white, a nod to his time at Duke.
To further personalize the shoes, Puma put No. 9 and a Maple leaf on the tongues of the shoes. Of course, the No. 9 is Barrett's uniform number for the Knicks, while the Maple Leaf is another wink to Canada. Playing on his nickname, “Maple Mamba” is embroidered on the inside of the tongue. The phrase "Made Different" is on the sock lining.
How To Buy
The original press release stated that the shoes would only be sold at Puma's flagship store in New York City. However, Barrett's player-exclusive shoes are currently being sold on Puma's website for $150.
Yesterday, Puma hosted a two-hour meet-and-greet with Barrett at their flagship store. This will only drive up demand for the limited-edition shoes. For fans unable to purchase the shoes before they sell out, we recommend monitoring sneaker resale sites like eBay, StockX, or GOAT in the coming weeks.
If all else fails, hoopers and sneakerheads alike can easily find another pair of Fusion Nitro's in a different colorway on Puma's website. Stay locked into FanNationKicks.com for all of your sneaker news.
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