PUMA and Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball's lifestyle and fashion brand, LaFranće, have announced their collaboration on a new sneaker design today that takes design cues from lifestyle running shoes, dystopian outdoor vibes, and Ball's energetic personal style.

PUMA announced in the release, “Created in collaboration with Melo's lifestyle brand LaFrancé, the newest star in the Museum of Heem is the LaFrancé RNR. The all-new lifestyle sneaker makes its debut in the Flare colorway, an earth-toned style covered in topographic details. An artifact of unlimited potential, the RNR proves without doubt that Melo is Not From Here.”

“The LaFrancé RNR Flare hits shelves on August 1st and will retail for $120 at the PUMA Flagship store, PUMA.com, Foot Locker, Champs, JD Sports, and Snipes,” Puma said.

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Since 2020, Ball has been a part of the PUMA basketball division and has become the face of the brand. With four signature shoes to his name, Ball's sneaker designs have remained expressive, just like his play style on the court. His shoes have featured things like “RARE” or “NOT FROM HERE,” which is inspired from the tattoos Ball has.

PUMA has also collaborated with several other brands in the past for some of LaMelo Ball's signature shoes in the past. Fortnite, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Scooby-Doo just to name a few. So PUMA pairing up with their signature athlete's own personal brand seemed inevitable.

Ball launched LaFranće ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft before the Hornets selected him. Having done apparel collaborations before with PUMA, the two parties are more than familiar with one another. More potential shoe collaborations could be on the way in the near future. The LaFrancé RNR Flare could just be the tip of the iceberg.