Digging deep into the PUMA archive, PUMA and iconic SA brand Nando’s have reimagined the PUMA RS sneaker, first launched in the ‘80s, to create the sauciest style yet that will hit shelves on Heritage Day.
Paying homage to Nando’s famous sauce, the RS-Xtra Hot features a printed chilli formstrip, the Nando’s PERi-ometer® with heat levels, the heel cup referencing the colours of Nando’s sauces the PUMA logo fired up in the Nando’s font – which is based on the hand-painted signwriting of artist Marks Salimu – the Nando’s signature Barci Cockerel and an insole paying homage to the iconic sauce bottle, all wrapped up in Nando’s vibrant colours.
“PUMA wanted to celebrate Heritage Day in South Africa by partnering with an iconic local brand that could help us capture the essence of what it means to be South African. Bold. Fiery. Somewhat audacious and eternally optimistic. Who better to announce as our partner than Nando’s, the brand that has been a part of the social and cultural fabric of South Africa since 1987,” said Brett Bellinger, PUMA SA Marketing Director. “Their social commentary and cultural insight have been as hot as the sauces that have made them famous worldwide, and as a brand they’ve authentically tapped into popular culture. This, backed by their continued investment in creative talent in the region, makes this collab something extra hot. As we head towards summer, we know the limited-edition RS-Xtra Hot has got the sauce to be the season’s most coveted sneaker.”
The original RS franchise traces its origins to 1984 when PUMA set out to create a revolutionary new technology. The PUMA RS (Running System) was the world’s first wearable sports product, and the world’s first smart shoe. The RS’s built-in computer aggregated data, translating it into metrics that allowed runners to become faster, more efficient, and more competitive.
Since 2018, the RS family was modernized and reinvented, with the addition of new styles for the street like the RS-X, RS-X3, RS-2K, RS-Fast, RS-Connect, RS-Dreamer, RS-X Efekt, RS-X Drift and RS-X 3D. This season, PUMA has collaborated with The Smurfs and SpongeBob, releasing limited-edition PUMA RS-X styles. Now PUMA continues to build on the RS legacy through its collaboration with South Africa’s, and arguably the world’s, most loved flame-grilled chicken brand.
The PUMA X Nando’s RS-Xtra Hot (R1999) will drop on Heritage Day, 24 September 2023, at PUMA.com, PUMA Retail Stores, sportscene, Side Step, Shelflife, Shesha, Superbalist, The Cross Trainer, Sneaker District and Colt45 by Al Capone.
