Matt Varga LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets will look to finally assert themselves in the Eastern conference this year, but on the footwear front, ‘Melo is already well-tested. As we look ahead to his fourth signature shoe, creatives at PUMA are already testing out some retoolings for it. Images have surfaced of a set of PUMA MB.04 Slides, bringing the eccentric on-court style to everyday comfort.
The “sole” unit from the MB.04 proper is where the similarities between it and this slide are most evident, lending a perforated, design that materializes heavily throughout this shoe, moonlighting well as ventilation for the one-piece synthetic hardware. While these assuredly will run counter to that 4th signature, these are more accurately a reflection of the design language from throughout the history of LaMelo Ball shoes, his host of trademark graphics appearing up and down the silhouette. His “1 of 1” & “Rare” mantras on the toe and outsole, his Wings logo embossed on the midfoot and a serious dose of flame graphics woven into the hardware.
Of the same token, each of the six colorways that we’re seeing here keep up the expressive palettes that mark his basketball shoes, executing three monochromatic looks in neon green, orange and jet black, and three marbled ones between lavender & purple, pink & red and aqua & red.
Barring a major switch up, these PUMA MB.04 Slides will debut after the MB.04 proper, with the latter likely to debut close to the start of the NBA season. Expect the slide version to hit somewhere around that time frame as well, though MSRP is currently unknown. For now, take a look at the full selection of early colorways ahead.
