Back in September, Rihanna and PUMA teamed up to reintroduce the Avanti, a lifestyle sneaker originally released in 2001 designed as a hybrid of two PUMA icons: the King football boot and the heritage running Easy Rider. For Spring 2024, the FENTY x PUMA Avanti returns for its third drop: the “Pony Hair” pack.
After dropping all-leather iterations in the first two drops, the “Pony Hair” pack features two colorways with uppers wrapped in luxurious pony hair. The first colorway opts for an all-white look, while the second comes in dappled white and brown. Both feature embroidered FENTY branding on its fold over tongue, while underfoot is a white midsole with retro gum outsoles.
The Avanti was a perfect choice for the relaunch of the FENTY x PUMA partnership as it combines Rihanna’s loves of soccer and fashion, plus it aligns with the current terrace fashion trend. After digging through the PUMA archives, Rihanna chose to work on a King-adjacent silhouette as it was the boot worn by one of her favorite soccer players, the late great Pelé. The Avanti also has deep fashion roots, as the inspiration for the original 2001 Avanti came in 1998, when PUMA first merged sports and fashion together by collaborating with German designer Jil Sander. The Jil Sander King featured the upper of the King cleat with the sole of the Easy Rider, leading to the design of the Avanti that released three years later.
The FENTY x PUMA Avanti Pony Hair launches on February 22nd on the PUMA website and at select retailers. Grab an official look at both colorways below.
FENTY x PUMA Avanti “Pony Hair”
Color: Warm White
Style Code: 399814_02 (Men’s), 399815_02 (Women’s)
Release Date: February 22, 2024
Price: $200 USD
FENTY x PUMA Avanti “Pony Hair”
Color: Alpine Snow
Style Code: 399814_01 (Men’s), 399815_01 (Women’s)
Release Date: February 22, 2024
Price: $200 USD
