Puma is elevating New York Knicks forward RJ Barrett's status in the NBA by giving him a player-exclusive (PE) shoe, the Puma Fusion Nitro RJ.
Barrett averaged 20 points per game last season and is poised to increase his production this year.
Puma signed Barrett to a multi-year sneaker deal in 2018.
While the 22-year-old Barrett has yet to earn a signature sneaker line, having a player-exclusive, which is a colorway of an existing shoe, is the next best thing in the footwear world.
The left shoe is red and white, which pays tribute to Barrett's Candian heritage. The right shoe is blue and white, a nod to his time at Duke.
To further personalize the shoes, Puma put No. 9 and a Maple leaf on the tongues of the shoes. Of course, the No. 9 is Barrett's uniform number for the Knicks, while the Maple Leaf is another wink to Canada. Playing on his nickname, “Maple Mamba” is embroidered on the inside of the tongue. The phrase "Made Different" is on the sock lining.
A performance basketball shoe called the Puma Fusion Nitro debuted in 2021. Puma has reinvented the Fusion Nitro over the past year in numerous colorways while keeping the technology built into the sneaker the same.
Barrett's player-exclusive shoes are currently being sold on Puma's website for $150.


Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal
Trump's Transgender Sports Ban Faces Enforcement Challenges
Trump Draws Cheers at Ryder Cup as U.S. Trails Europe After Opening Day
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains
OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering
Instagram Outage Disrupts Thousands of U.S. Users
Trump’s U.S. Open Visit Delays Final, Fans Face Long Security Lines
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 



