Salehe Bembury’s PUMA Velum Nitro Goes Global in Two Colourways
Salehe Bembury and PUMA have officially launched the Velum Nitro in two debut colorways: the earthy ‘Yams’ and the fiery ‘Mahana’. After first surfacing in Paris earlier this year via a limited 100-pair run, the silhouette is now available globally. Both pairs are built with PUMA’s Nitro foam cushioning and layered with Bembury’s signature textures and fingerprint-inspired detailing. Priced at $160 each, the duo of Velum Nitros and are available now through salehebembury.com.
In July 2024, PUMA unveiled their Hoops partnership with creative polymath Salehe Bembury, entrusting him with the creation of a signature basketball shoe and the selection of their next marquee athlete. Expressing his enthusiasm at the time, Bembury shared, ‘My designs are a platform for storytelling and cultivating community; an opportunity to breathe new meaning into a product... As a '90s kid from New York City, I've played basketball my whole life and have a deep history, emotion and nostalgia for the sport'.
It was a bold move from the Big Cat, and today we caught our first glimpse of Salehe’s debut design with PUMA via his Instagram. Replete with Salehe’s signature aesthetics, the upcoming silhouette actually looks more like a running shoe than a basketball shoe. Featuring a swell of organic design principles ostensibly taken directly from nature, the model features rippling blue midsoles, pebble-like Formstrips and green, pond scum-esque uppers. The uppers look like they’re constructed with breathable mesh, while membrane style overlays add structural reinforcement. On the medial side, we’re seeing some unique PUMA x Salehe Bembury branding, again rendered in natural textures seen in Bembury’s wider oeuvre.
It’s set to be another huge year for PUMA, who dragged in an eye-watering number of collaborators in 2024. Currently, PUMA’s hoops roster includes the likes of LaMelo Ball, Scoot Henderson, Flau’Jae Johnson, and Breanna Stewart. To get up to scratch on the Big Cat, make sure to check out their action-packed highlight reel from 2024. Stay locked to Sneaker Freaker for updates.
