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After a five-year hiatus, Rihanna is back with a new Fenty x Puma collaboration. The partnership between the Grammy winner and the German sportswear giant has been revived with the Fenty x Puma Avanti shoe, a fashion-forward take on the classic soccer sneaker.
The shoe, which launched on September 15, is available in adult and children’s sizes in two unisex colourways: a vintage-esque black leather and eye-catching chrome. Other details include a fold-over tongue with the Fenty logo, a gum outsole, and a leather footbed.
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The OG Avanti shoe goes back to 1968 when the original design, the Puma King football boot, was created and eventually popularised by soccer superstars like Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Eusébio. In 1998, luxury designer Jil Sander worked on Puma’s first-ever fashion collaboration and unveiled the Jil Sander King, which fused the aesthetics of the football boot and the heritage Easy Rider jogging shoe. The Avanti then debuted in 2001 as the next iteration of the footwear style.
“I wanted to bring something iconic from the archives to the street, and the late great Pelé made the Avanti shoe so iconic,” Rihanna said in a press release.
Rihanna has served as the Fenty x Puma creative director since its first launch in 2015 — which included the Fenty x Puma Creeper — though the partnership has been on pause since 2018. The newest collab promises to be just the beginning of another years-long partnership as well; a second Fenty x Puma Avanti drop is also expected later this fall.
The Fenty x Puma Avanti is available to shop online, with a price tag of AUD $240 for the adult sizing.
