Salehe Bembury has a workload, and a rolodex, truly like no other. Beyond his archival work under Versace, ANTA, and Brandblack, the New York City has been able to accomplish something few other movers in the space have, those peers often beholden to non-compete clauses. Indeed, he’s been juggling ongoing partnerships with PUMA, Crocs, and New Balance for over a year’s time now, on top of his independent play under the SPUNGE banner.
Exactly what a day in the life of Salehe Bembury looks like given those competing workflows remains a burning question for us, but we’re seeing the fruits of his labor come to the fore once again with a first look at the PUMA NITRO Velum 2. As a three-headed monster continues to play out with the PUMA Hali 1, jointly designed alongside the Big Cat and the Pacers superstar, the Velum has been his baby under the German giant, an expression of cost-effective, stacked runners that are elsewhere dominant via models like the adiZero EVO SL.
For the second chapter under that title, it appears that the blend of trademark fingerprint geometry and accordion cushioning that defined the Velum is intact on the sole. However, not just because of a chromed-out palette, the uppers shift into a far more futuristic arrangement, utilizing more patented wavy lines up top with a wrap-around mesh window. Shortly after publishing this silvery edition to his main feed, he also flexed a pink and red colorway that demonstrates a more vibrant lane for the nascent silhouette.
Expect release info for the PUMA NITRO Velum 2 to come about sooner than later. For now, check out Salehe’s two sneak peeks below.










