PUMA x NANDO’S RS-XTRA HOT TO FIRE UP HERITAGE DAY
Johannesburg, 14 September 2023 – The PERi-PERi just got hotter, as PUMA and iconic
South African brand Nando’s announced today they will be bringing flames to the sneaker
shelves on Heritage Day, with the drop of the PUMA x Nando’s RS-Xtra Hot.
Digging deep into the PUMA archive, PUMA and Nando’s have reimagined the PUMA RS
sneaker, first launched in the ‘80s, to create the sauciest style yet.
Paying homage to Nando’s famous sauce, the RS-Xtra Hot features a printed chilli formstrip, the
Nando’s PERi-ometer® with heat levels, the heel cup referencing the colours of Nando’s sauces
the PUMA logo fired up in the Nando’s font - which is based on the hand-painted signwriting of
artist Marks Salimu - the Nando’s signature Barci Cockerel and an insole paying homage to the
iconic sauce bottle, all wrapped up in Nando’s vibrant colours.
“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,” said Brett Bellinger, PUMA SA Marketing Director. “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.”
The original RS franchise traces its origins to 1984 when PUMA set out to create a revolutionary
new technology. The PUMA RS (Running System) was the world’s first wearable sports
product, and the world’s first smart shoe. The RS’s built-in computer aggregated data,
translating it into metrics that allowed runners to become faster, more efficient, and more
competitive.
Since 2018, the RS family was modernized and reinvented, with the addition of new styles for
the street like the RS-X, RS-X3, RS-2K, RS-Fast, RS-Connect, RS-Dreamer, RS-X Efekt, RS-X
Drift and RS-X 3D. This season, PUMA has collaborated with The Smurfs and SpongeBob,
releasing limited-edition PUMA RS-X styles. Now PUMA continues to build on the RS legacy
through its collaboration with South Africa’s, and arguably the world’s, most loved flame-grilled
chicken brand.
Nando’s is steeped in a storied history. The brand started back in 1987, when the first
restaurant opened in Rosettenville in Johannesburg. Today they have over 1200 outlets in 22
countries and sell their sauce in more than 30 countries. They have come a long way, but they
have never forgotten their humble beginnings, and the true core of their brand: the people.
Jessica Wheeler GM Marketing: Brand, Strategy & Communications at Nando’s said: “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.”
With the sneaker concept first cooked up in South Africa, the PUMA X Nando’s RS-Xtra Hot will
be released in limited quantities in SA, the US and UAE, all happy homes to Nando’s Casa
restaurants.
The PUMA X Nando’s RS-Xtra Hot (R1999) will drop on Heritage Day, 24 September 2023, at
PUMA.com, PUMA Retail Stores, sportscene, Side Step, Shelflife, Shesha, Superbalist, The
Cross Trainer, Sneaker District and Colt45 by Al Capone.