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Spring is in the air, Earth Day’s around the corner, and a Met Gala that plays tribute to nature is afoot, but Rihanna is one step ahead. The fashion force just dropped an entire collection of Earth tones in her latest Fenty x Puma Creeper Phatty platform sneaker silhouette featuring luxe nubuck leather uppers and shiny gold touches. The campaign is nothing short of avant garde-n fantasies, too, complete with creepy-crawly bugs that appropriately model alongside the shoe, with Rihanna herself dressed in terrestrial textures to match her coveted Puma stompers.
The OG Fenty x Puma Creepers was crowned Footwear News’ Shoe of The Year in 2016 for its blockbusting cult following and game-changing design, which Puma global creative director Heiko Desens previously told Footwear News, “rejuvenated the whole classic platform sneaker trend” and stands as one of the brand’s “most successful franchises.” The Creeper finally made a bold comeback last November in the oversized Phatty iteration, with padded suede uppers, thicker laces, stacked gum soles, and vibrant color plays — which unsurprisingly sold out in just a few hours.
Rihanna’s new Fenty x Puma Creeper Phatty Earth Tone collection arrives today in three supremely versatile and trendy colorways for effortlessly on-point styling. ‘Foggy Green,’ a naturally genderless and muted sage tone, nods back to mossy spring 2024 runway color trends we saw in organic khakis at MaxMara, liquid silk at Saint Laurent, and in Coach’s bestselling spring drop of similarly plush quilted leather Tabby bags. The tone takes a detour from previous reigning collegiate green footwear statements, reading fresh like pastels while functioning as a new neutral, and goes on to compliment other dominant color motifs of the season season, like deep burgundy, breezy blue, and butter yellow.
The ‘Warm White’ colorway evokes the lived-in look that white sneaker lovers relish in, and presents a new take on a summertime staple with contrasting gum rubber soles that elevate its retro appeal. The softer take on the crisp neutral is far less precious and allows more room to play with styling, whether to pop against a floral frock or a finishing touch for elevated basics. The third and only monochromatic colorway is dubbed ‘Totally Taupe,’ though the hue reads more rich, with a matching stacked sole and suede upper akin to tree bark or smooth clay. The brown iteration is another not-so-basic neutral, which can inspire complete color-coordinated ensembles or lean into fashion aesthetics like Western wear — cowboy boots not required; just add a double dose of denim and contemporary boho accessories.
On top of men’s and women’s sizing, the mom of two is offering the Creeper Phatty in three child sizes for toddlers, little kids, and big kids. “We had to extend the line to kids so the whole family can be a part of this,” Rihanna exclusively told Footwear News shortly after giving birth. What’s cuter than a mini Creeper?
Whether we’ll see Rihanna sporting the shoe on the First Monday in May in an internet-breaking, earthy ensemble is anyone’s guess. One thing you can bank on? These shoes will sell out faster than you can pray for a new album.
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Meet the Author
Olivia Cigliano is a Commerce Writer & Producer at Footwear News and WWD where she writes shopping content on the best-rated footwear, TikTok style trends, and more. Olivia received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Emerson College, and her byline can be found in publications including Elite Daily and CR Fashion Book. She regularly tests, reviews, and reports on exciting new shoe releases from top brands like Puma at Footwear News.
