If anyone can make our athleisure collide with high heels, it's going to be Rihanna. The new Fenty Puma Mules are part of the Fenty Puma Spring/Summer 2018 collection, which has pushed outside of its sporty confines this season and played around with styles that weren't just sneakers and pool slides. And one of those experimental standouts are the acidic-hued, geometric platform mules.
Rihanna is all about risk taking, and when it comes to unconventional or even slightly questionable styles, she's always the first one wearing them — whether that's on a red carpet or while running errands in Los Angeles. (Case in point: Just recently she went to the Louis Vuitton show wearing multiple bags slung across her shoulder — including a clear duffel. Why choose the perfect purse for your outfit when you can wear them all?) Because of this devil-may-care attitude when it comes to her wardrobe, she has a keen eye for what undiscovered look could be hot next. After all, there is a reason why she was the first woman to win Footwear News’s coveted Shoe of the Year award. The lady has vision. And that skill showed in her latest Puma collection, unveiling a series of unexpected and covetable shoes.
Pushing sneaker fashion out of its comfort zone, she took everyone's favorite mule concept and gave it an '80s twist by painting it highlighter yellow and putting it on top of a thick, geometric Perspex heel. Embedded in the four-inch wedge is the Puma cat logo in hot pink, tying the playful color scheme together.
While many of Rihanna's ventures are affordable — from Fenty Beauty with its budget-friendly makeup to Savage x Fenty that lets you stock up on lingerie without exploding the bank — this particular collaboration is on the pricier side. The mules cost $429, meaning that they're not exactly budget-friendly or land in the mid-range price group. But if you save up (and eat a few Ramen cups,) they too can be yours.
While you can get them directly at Puma right now, they're a little pricier there, costing $650. Getting them from a third party, like My Theresa, gets you a bit of a discount.
Made in Italy using a glossy yellow patent leather and crafted into a severe point, they're a statement shoe that would be hard to forget.
These aren't the only innovative shoes in the collection. Another standout that made its way down the runway was a flip flop sandal with block heels, rocking a thick, surf-style ankle strap to keep your foot from sliding.
Then there were the strappy stilettos that swapped out leather straps for bright blue bungee cords. Coming in a chunky rubber heel and using a sporty snap buckle for the main leather strap (the kind that you would see on a hiking backpack,) the shoe comes together with its ties, which wrap around your ankles and are made from blue and green cords.
But just like the mules, these sandals clock into the 400 dollar range, making them a luxury athleisure buy.
And for those that like a good ankle bootie even during the summer, Rihanna delivered a patent leather shin-skimming one that has some serious '70s vibes to it. Looking like go-go boots but in a very 2018 way, they have a "sock bootie" feel to them but look like latex — even though they're made from cowhide leather. White with "PUMA" written in the back in acid green lettering, they're propped up on four-inch chunky heels that split up the Puma cat logo.
When it comes to creating shoes — both functional and experimental — Rihanna is a genius in the industry. And it's always exciting to see what she comes up with next.
