Pacers G Tyrese Haliburton’s first signature shoe -- the Puma Hali 1 -- will go on sale for the first time later this month and the “first pairs will be sold in Indianapolis” at a launch event, according to Dustin Dopirak of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Puma announced that it will globally launch the Hali 1 in its Opal colorway that has “shades of blue” on Sept. 26. The company also announced that on Sept. 25 there will be a pop-up “Hali-Mart” in Indianapolis that will “sell the first 317 pairs, nodding to the city’s area code.” The shoe will retail for $130. Both Haliburton and shoe designer Salehe Bembury “will be in attendance” at the pop-up. The Hali 1 is Haliburton’s first signature shoe and also the “first signature shoe designed by Bembury” though he has “collaborated with several major shoe and fashion companies” including New Balance and Versace (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/15).
EMERGING STAR: Haliburton said there’s “only so many guys that have a shoe” when asked if getting a signature shoe elevates his status in the league. Haliburton: “If they are worthy of that, that’s not for me to decide. I want everybody to be successful and enjoy that.” He added he believes “there’s a lot of fans excited” about his shoe, not just in Indiana, but “all over the country, all over the world.” Haliburton, who signed with Puma last year, said he feels “aligned on so many things” with the brand. GQ.com’s Matthew Roberson noted in a question that Puma “wasn’t a huge force in the basketball shoe world,” and now Haliburton is “part of that generation that’s causing it to happen.” Haliburton said he still has “a lot to prove,” to which he said Puma “can relate.” Haliburton: “I feel like that is something that excited them as well. I feel like that’s why I excited them as a young player being in this league and having success” (GQ.com, 9/15).
