PUMA and LaMelo Ball are expanding their creative partnership with the debut of a new silhouette under Ball’s LaFrancé label. The LaFrancé RNR marks a departure from his performance basketball shoes, leaning instead into lifestyle design with cues from trail running, rugged terrain, and dystopian outdoor references. Launching in a Flare colorway, the shoe arrives on August 1st at a retail price of $120.
The LaFrancé RNR was created in close collaboration with Ball’s lifestyle brand and introduces a shape that diverges from his signature court-ready models. Instead of emphasizing speed and responsiveness on the hardwood, the RNR focuses on street functionality, visual texture, and comfort-driven construction. The design reflects Ball’s flair for risk, pulling elements from the aesthetics of post-apocalyptic exploration and merging them with his off-court personality.
The debut Flare edition features a palette grounded in earth tones, with layered paneling and textured surfaces designed to evoke elevation maps and topographic features. The upper delivers tonal variation through rippling contours and layered fabric structures. While built for everyday wear, the shoe carries a sculptural form that feels directional rather than retro.
The LaFrancé RNR is a direct extension of LaMelo’s visual identity and streetwear sensibility. The shoe carries his “Not From Here” ethos, visible in the exaggerated outsole, experimental texture use, and subtle LaFrancé marks worked into the detailing. While basketball fans have become familiar with the MB.01 through MB.03 series, the RNR presents a different creative outlet – one that ties into lifestyle, music, and fashion rather than sport performance.
Available August 1st for $120, the LaFrancé RNR arrives as both an object and a statement – rooted in LaMelo Ball’s universe but ready for streets beyond it. The shoe sets the tone for future LaFrancé projects under PUMA, extending Ball’s design story well outside the confines of the basketball court.
