Tyrese Haliburton has signed a deal with PUMA and is set to receive his own sneaker line. Footwear industry expert Nick DePaula broke the news on his X account and shared the announcement video. While the Pacers star is excited about his new venture, fans were less than impressed.
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In the announcement clip, Haliburton’s father John lauds his son’s NBA journey while teasing the shoes’ look as they flash briefly on the screen. The video does a great job of building suspense about the sneaker’s design and colorway.
PUMA welcomes Pacers All-Star @TyHaliburton22 to the brand.
“I’m super excited to announce that I’ve joined the PUMA Family,” said Haliburton. “I look forward to being a part of their commitment to the next generation of basketball.” https://t.co/EpyV7Ac62l pic.twitter.com/nk9gECsQlx
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) October 8, 2024
DePaula revealed that in the announcement video Haliburton donned the ‘Alert’ colorway of the All-Pro Nitro Men’s Basketball Shoes. These shoes are listed at $130 on PUMA’s official website.
He also claimed that the Pacers star will rock the new All-Pro Nitro Elite Model during the 2024-25 season. It has a dynamic color scheme of dark blue, purple, and light blue. These sneakers are engineered to accommodate busy point guards like Haliburton.
According to PUMA’s official website, the UItraweave fabric has a 4-way stretch, enabling athletes to boost their speed and strength. Apart from that, its NITRO SQD is expected to enhance the first step and soak the pressure of an explosive move. The official price tag of these sneakers is $250.
This season, Tyrese Haliburton will headline the Puma All-Pro Nitro sneaker and potentially the new $250 All-Pro Nitro Elite model.@TyHaliburton22 is wearing this “Alert” colorway in the announcement video: https://t.co/zBUZ6eE04j https://t.co/xrHE9lV8TR pic.twitter.com/hF1h8TgQuW
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) October 8, 2024
Many fans were perplexed by the price tag. They felt a brand like PUMA shouldn’t charge as much for what they believe is an average basketball shoe. One fan wrote, “$250 for pumas? ”
$250 for pumas ? 😕😕😕
— Coach Ant (@CoachAntG) October 8, 2024
Another fan claimed the shoes were not even worth 1/5th the original price tag, writing, “250 is outrageous. I wouldn’t even spend 50 bucks on those shoes.”
250 is outrageous. I wouldn’t even spend 50 bucks on those shoes
— Yazan (@Golden_Zen1) October 8, 2024
One fan quipped that PUMA is only appealing to senior citizens or those who are unable to get by on their own, writing, “$250 for some ‘assisted living 1s’ is wild.”
$250 for some “ assisted living 1s “ is wild
— king_kagins 🇩🇴 (@king_kagins) October 8, 2024
Most replies to the post disparaged PUMA for its seemingly overpriced sneakers. Its riveting design wasn’t enough to stave off such sentiment. It will be interesting to see how these shoes perform in the marketplace considering the heavy backlash around its cost.
