pic by @thwiz42 on Twitter
One of the primary issues with the relaunch of a brand happening as hype vs a well thought out procedure is these moments always take place. Since July DeAndre Ayton has been wearing Nike footwear while Puma creates a custom pair for his size 18 foot. The issue has been discussed on a lot of websites, but I hadn’t even checked for this and just discovered it today. When this launch took place I wrote this post:
Puma, Jay-Z and the Top NBA Draft Picks for 2018 Walk Into a Room with UA, adidas and Nike Waiting
A peer of mine G. Garber just reminded me that the launch is in three days. My immediate question was, “Is there gear? Any merchandising? Incentive programs?” My next question was, “is this Infrared/Energy colorway the first release?” From a marketing standpoint, if it doesn’t sell immediately it’s a loud, screaming failure being displayed on the wall. What’s even worse is there are precedents for shoes made in this colorway. The D Rose 3.5 Infrared/Yellow was released back in 2013 and I was able to buy that shoe for 69.99 buy one get one for a dollar.
This isn’t a good start for Puma and there are questions; especially since I just realized that Puma bit an entire colorway from an old D-Rose. I will keep an eye on this one throughout the season.
