Matt Varga Folks connected to the sneaker public up and down the production cycle mean that extremely far in advance previews of new models are becoming more commonplace. After James Harden paid off a months-ahead look at his Harden Vol. 9 with an official unveiling, we’re swapping back to the Eastern Conference, now receiving preliminary imagery of the PUMA MB.05.
It should be stated at the top that any leaks of this nature should be approached with a grain of salt; even an early debut for the MB.05 would mean we’re still more than half a year away from it hitting the market. However, @sneakerhighway23, the person behind this initial photo, was indeed the first to tip off the MB.04, and much of what we saw of that silhouette remained true once PUMA let loose the shoe in earnest.
The standout feature on the MB.05, and one that’ll surely prove to be divisive, is the wing-like straps that branch from underneath the laces, criss-crossing over the foot and sporting the graphic, tattoo-like print that’s been a hallmark of LaMelo Ball shoes the whole way through. To that end, many of the motifs that have become associated with the superstar PG continue on with this 5th edition; keen eyes can spot MELO spell-outs and 1-of-1 branding dotted throughout.
Finally, perhaps most interesting is how these first seven colorways showcase material experimentation. A “Toxic” green and purple sports a scaly toe-box, the yellow and orange carries similar snakeskin detailing at its heel cup, and a version that can only be likened to the “Aunt Pearl” switches to true wing patterning on its straps and crystalline hardware on its tongue.
As mentioned earlier, the PUMA MB.04 still has plenty of shelf life left, and we’ll likely not see the MB.05 in an official capacity for a while. Still, these early shots give perspective into what the PUMA creative team has chambered – catch the full look included below.
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