LaMelo Ball’s PUMA MB.03 “Toxic” Releases On October 27th

Inspiration not from here.

Sneaker News October 18th, 2023 (updated)

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This article was published on October 16th, 2023 and last updated on October 18th, 2023
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Fresh off the heels of a collaboration with his own lifestyle brand LaFrancé, LaMelo Ball is looking forward to the loudest colorway of his PUMA MB.03 yet.

Dubbed the “Toxic” edition, the wildly boisterous mix was first revealed on the Charlotte Hornets star’s Instagram account through some behind-the-scenes outtakes in August. Truly reflecting the 22-year-old’s one-of-one attitude, the MB.03 “Toxic” features an eye-catching finish across its engineered mesh upper and NITROFOAM™ infused sole unit. Unnatural shades of neon green, fresh out of a radioactive swamp, are paired up with an electric crimson pink, while a deep purple lands on the chief overlay. PUMA MB designers Jeremy Sallee and Jacob Garcia told Sneaker News ahead of the pair’s launch that both Ball’s third signature model and statement-making “Toxic” color were inspired by octopuses and “tentacle vibes.”

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“We wanted to create these worlds of ‘not from here’,” said Sallee on Tuesday night at PUMA’s flagship store on 5th Avenue. The MB.01 drew inspiration from Ball’s rocket tattoo, which played into the idea that the youngest Ball Brother is from outerspace. Its sequel tapped into the ephemeral alluded to by the guard’s angel wings chest tattoo. While always inspired by LaMelo’s ink, Sallee and Garcia have come to learn the athlete’s tastes, which made pitching an underworld theme for the third PUMA MB easy.

According to the designers, the Hornets star is a creature of habit. On the performance side of things, Ball hasn’t wanted too many changes between his signature models, placing importance on underfoot flow. Sallee and Garcia haven’t modified the tooling much since 2021, although the MB.03 is more cushioned than its predecessors. Aesthetic-wise, there’s a method to LaMelo’s madness. The one-time NBA All-Star comes alive when choosing color palettes, favoring color clashes and patterns that set his shoes apart from the crowd. Perhaps that explains why LaMelo isn’t a fan of light-colored sneaker bottoms, as shared by Sallee and Garcia when giving a sneak peek at a sample of the sneaker.

The MB.03 “Toxic” releases via puma.com and PUMA Hoops retailers on October 27th.

In other related brand news, Scoot Henderson’s PUMA signature shoe is set to debut during the 2023-2024 NBA season.