LaMelo Ball and PUMA Hoops Drop New LaFrancé Shoe

Charlotte Hornets' superstar LaMelo Ball, in conjunction with his footwear sponsor, PUMA Hoops, officially unveiled their co-designed lifestyle shoe, LaFrancé, yesterday, May 17.

With more than 10 million followers on Instagram and having lived his life in the spotlight since he was 16 years old (if not earlier), LaMelo is one of the most popular young players in the sport and his influence extends far beyond the court. To that end, it's no shock that he'd put out a shoe designed to appeal to fans of all ages and for multiple uses.

From the press release:

Created through intimate collaboration between LaMelo Ball and the PUMA design team, the LaFrancé gets its inspiration and name from LaMelo’s namesake lifestyle brand, which fuses different inspirations from streetwear fashion, sport and lifestyle. 

The LaFrancé silhouette represents a new take on Melo – an elevated, chunky street inspired take to off-court fashion fueled by his fierce flare and energy. An off-court icon, LaFrancé boasts an all-red fiery upper and chunky silhouette, the "Amour" colorway is a nod to the overstated aesthetics of Y2K skate culture; and is just the first of many LaFrancé colorways to come. LaFrancé will be accompanied by a few apparel pieces, including graphic tees, a mesh tank, short, and track pants, ranging from $40-$110.

Getting real on the shoe design, Noah Bice (PUMA Hoops Designer of LaFrancé) said, “If you know Melo, you know he does everything large. From the chain to the logos, to the car, dude’s living large! So, we had to come through with a silhouette to fit that profile. The skate inspired, chunky upper and cup sole felt like the obvious sweet spot for Melo's first lifestyle shoe.” 

Here are some additional design details related to the new shoe:

• The supersized sneaker features exaggerated proportions, a chunky zig-zag lace closure, ultra-wide laces, and a well-padded tongue for ultimate comfort. 
• “LF” and “La France” can be found on the mega tongue as well as imprinted into the latest silhouettes ultra-thick sole. 
•  The classic cup sole has been spiced up with floating ovals throughout, which are decorated with iconic graphics. 
• Upper ovals on the midsole encapsulate design aspects of a butterfly, symbolizing Melo’s 1 of 1 lifestyle.

LaFrancé will be accompanied by a few apparel pieces, including graphic tees, a mesh tank, short, and track pants, ranging from $40-$110. LaFrancé and accompanying pieces will be available at PUMA.com, the PUMA mobile app, the PUMA NYC Flagship store and at Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs and select retailers worldwide. 

Watch the video below for a little more context and perspective on this fire release!

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