It’s probably not how they drew it up, but LaMelo Ball’s “world tour” now has a new base of operations, shifting locations from the Queen City to up north. As we count down the days until we can see ‘Melo and Ant take the court together, there’s another piece of novel intrigue, as his signature line with PUMA nears its yearly update. Typically, that’d mean parsing the internet for factory leaks or advance spec sheets that whet our palettes for the next step, but the Big Cat has beat everyone to the punch, officially revealing the PUMA MB.06 on their socials.
Doubling the noteworthiness here is the fact that the PUMA MB.06 first comes to light in a “Puerto Rico” inspired pair, stamped as such by the man himself in a quick explanatory video. By his description, the debut pair nods to the aquatic vistas of the island, with a gradient treatment underfoot developing flag colors for an extra hit of national pride. To state the obvious, we’re unsure of exactly what qualifies Ball or his signature line for the PR connection, surely to be recieved well by the territory’s native sons and daughters, but a bit quizzical in this lead-off duty.
Nonetheless, these initial angles of the PUMA MB.06 set it up as possibly the most traditional of his signature series to date. The MB.05 grappled with winged straps, the MB.03 played in dene textures, and the MB.02 built out flame-licked quarter panels, each visual expressions of the solitary play-style that Ball continues to dazzle fans with.
Pockets of circular containment on either side and a crossing traction pattern underfoot ensure the same for the MB.06. Yet the overall silhouette of the shoe hems close to what hoopers continue to see across the landscape, as a low-cut and traditional lace closure demonstrate. Trust that Y2K-style branding on the tongue and the range of “1 of 1″/”Rare” hits throughout the profile mean these are just as unabashedly Ball’s as ever.
Release info for the PUMA MB.06 as a whole and this “Puerto Rico” colorway are in short supply at the moment. However, you can find all the photo assets shared by the Big Cat below.
