Jun 26, 2018 The Reintroduction of Puma Basketball
Left to Right: Michael Porter Jr., Zhaire Smith, Marvin Bagley III, Deandre Ayton / Source Bryan Bedder, Getty Images
Puma basketball is officially back after taking a 20-year hiatus. For the first time since signing Vince Carter in 1998, Puma signed top draft pick DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Michael Porter Jr. and Zhaire Smith. Puma also announced Jay-Z as President of Basketball Operations.
Puma Clyde Court Disrupt / Image via Hypebeast
Puma debuted their first performance basketball model in 20 years, the Puma Clyde Court Disrupt, an homage to the most popular Puma basketball shoe of all time, the Puma Clyde donned by Knicks legend Clyde Frazier during the 70’s. With an evoKNIT upper and Jamming cushioning, a particle bead foam encapsulated in a plastic outsole that’s said to give you a custom cushioning experience. The Clyde Court Disrupt is dropping on October 1 for $160.
Performance basketball model sales are on the decline and with the market dominated by Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, it seems that Puma is jumping back in at a strange time. Under Armour did have lightning in the bottle when Steph Curry signed with UA and catapulted into MVP status. UA had all the momentum going for them up until the Curry 3 which sales didn’t meet expectations and UA stock prices plummeted.
What does this mean for Puma? It’s too early to tell, but competition for the performance basketball market is only going to bring great things. With the success of Rihanna’s Fenty line and the Puma Thunder Spectra, Puma’s lifestyle popularity seems on the upswing. Whether Puma basketball ends up being a big-time player or just a minnow, for the first time in a long time, the buzz around Puma is growing.