PUMA has continued to push the boundaries with each of their respective collaborations. The brand has had several high-profile collabs in recent weeks, capped off with the return of Rihanna and the Fenty brand. This time around, PUMA South Africa has partnered with iconic local brand Nando’s for an extra hot release. The PUMA x Nando’s collaboration sees the drop of the RS-Xtra Hot sneaker.
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Known for its special PERi-PERi hot sauce, it’s featured as the design backbone for the PUMA x Nando’s RS-Xtra Hot. The collaboration is a celebration of South African culture in honour of Heritage Day.
Taken from the PUMA archives, the Running System line has a rich history for the brand. First launched in the 80s to provide feedback for runners, it has seen a resurgence in recent years since its reintroduction in 2018. With the latest RS-Xtra Hot, it brings one of the sauciest editions to the fold.
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Nando’s is a brand steeped in history, sharing its original launch with the RS in the 80s. Having been founded in 1987, Nando’s opened its first-ever restaurant in Rosettenville in downtown Johannesburg. Expanding across the globe to 1,200 restaurants in 22 countries, the brand also sells its sauces in 30 countries. However, they have not lost touch with their roots and history, still head-quartered in Rosettenville 36 years later.
The PUMA x Nando’s RS-Xtra Hot sneaker pays homage to this history. It is based on the famous sauce, which is evident in the detailing on the sneaker. Additional elements include the printed chilli formstrip, a Nando’s PERi-ometer with heat levels, a heel cup, which references the colours of Nando’s sauces, as well as the PUMA logo fired up in the Nando’s font. The design detailing is rounded off with the signature Barci Cockerel and an insole paying homage to the iconic sauce bottle.
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Speaking at the official launch event at Nando’s Head Office in Rosettenvill, PUMA SA Marketing Director Brett Bellinger had this to say about the local collaboration with an international impact:
“PUMA wanted to celebrate Heritage Day in South Africa by partnering with an iconic local brand that could help us capture the essence of what it means to be South African. Bold. Fiery. Somewhat audacious and eternally optimistic. Who better to announce as our partner than Nando’s, the brand that has been a part of the social and cultural fabric of South Africa since 1987. Their social commentary and cultural insight have been as hot as the sauces that have made them famous worldwide, and as a brand they’ve authentically tapped into popular culture. This, backed by their continued investment in creative talent in the region, makes this collab something extra hot. As we head towards summer, we know the limited-edition RS-Xtra Hot has got the sauce to be the season’s most coveted sneaker.”
In addition to this, GM Marketing: Brand, Strategy & Communications at Nando’s Jessica Wheeler echoed the sentiment:
“This has been an incredibly exciting collab in an important month for the country, and for us as a brand. To encapsulate the fiery spirit of South Africans is something we strive to do daily through our marketing activity and to reflect in our stores and our menu, but to have that embodied in a sneaker is just next level. Nando’s resonates deeply with the spirit of creativity, and we believe that creativity can be a force for good and for change. Now we are offering South Africans the opportunity to literally, walk that talk! This sneaker has been designed and manufactured with incredible attention to detail and meticulous craft, and as we unveil the RS-Xtra Hot, we hope that the people of South Africa will embrace it with the same affection. We, the people of Mzansi are fiery (read dope), and this sneaker is a celebration of that unmatched flavour.”
Bring that extra hot, saucy heat to the streets with the PUMA x Nando’s RS-Xtra Hot.
The RS-Xtra Hot sneaker is set to drop on Heritage Day on 24 September 2023 for a price of R1,999. It’ll be on sale online at PUMA.com, as well as in-store at PUMA Retail stores, sportscene, Side Step, Shesha, Superbalist, The Cross Trainer, Shelflife, Sneaker District and Colt45 by Al Capone.
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Further to the initial launch locally in South Africa, the sneaker will extend beyond our shores in limited quantities to the US and UAE.
