Puma created a stir at the start of the 2022 school year by releasing the Stewie 1, Puma's first signature shoe. Breanna StewartThe former Seattle Storm superstar, who now plays for the New York Liberty and who also shone on the international scene with Team USA, thus became the tenth female athlete in history to benefit from a signature line, succeeding Candace Parker, twelve years later!
Puma and Breanna Stewart set out to develop a model that is faithful to the player's career and personality. In terms of design, the guiding principle has been maintained over the years. On a technical level, too, we remain on the same assets, with good support, good grip, a generous sole and care given to the comfort of the heel that we find on this Stewie 3the player having undergone surgery on both Achilles tendons and paying particular attention to this point.
After highlighting the theme of the elements of nature on the Stewie 2, the Stewie 3 has been decorated with flowers that represent the sporting journey and life of Breanna Stewart. Each pattern has been designed so that the useful is the perfect ally of the pleasant, in order to make this 3rd signature shoe a little pearl to savor.
GENERAL COMFORT
The shoe is a bit tight but feels great once you're in it. As a result, the overall support is very good, whether it's at the heel, with a well-padded collar, the TPU-reinforced upper, or the forefoot.
As on the Zion 3, the insole acts as a midsole, but the feeling here is rather positive. The imposing Nitro Foam + layer provides comfort and quality cushioning. You quickly feel comfortable there. The woven mesh upper and the TPU reinforcements at the front do not help with ventilation, however.
Rating: 8.5/10
CUSHIONING
This is the big news of this Stewie 3, which has chosen this Nitro Foam + foam as a midsole directly in contact with the foot, without a sockliner. The feeling is rather good, Puma having bet on a good dose of foam under the heel which is refined towards the front of the foot, where we find a “Nitro Foam” unit to improve the rebound.
The result is pretty good in terms of cushioning and comfort, and the specificity of the midsole is not too noticeable.
Rating: 8.5/10
TRACTION
Here again is one of the very good points of this Stewie 3. The Puma high-abrasion non-slip rubber outsole may not be revolutionary, but its numerous “branch” chevrons provide perfect grip on the ground.
The pair holds well on lateral supports and forward departures. The entire surface of the foot is one with the ground, and even without lateral reinforcements, the Stewie 3 does the job perfectly.
Rating: 9/10
MAINTENANCE AND STABILITY
The support is optimal without compressing the foot, especially at the front. The cut is rather low, so it was necessary to compensate with good support and correct stability. The quality of the support is therefore there, as for the previous models of the Stewie, reinforced by TPU walls on the upper to contain the midfoot well.
As for stability, the outsole does not have any specific features in this regard, but the result is still satisfactory. A thin plastic plate located under the middle of the foot is also supposed to contribute to the good stability of the foot.
Rating: 8.5/10
FINISHES AND LIFESPAN
The Stewie 3 has remained fairly faithful to the previous two models in terms of design with its two TPU stripes on the upper, even if the sole is less imposing.
The touch of softness is found in the finishes with patterns here and there illustrating different flowers to tell the story of Breanna Stewart's life and sporting journey. There are four: a rose, the flower of the state of New York, where she was born, at the base of the heel, a cherry blossom just above, symbolizing her gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, a yellow ipe flower (“Golden Trumpet Tree”), the national flower of Brazil, where she won the Rio Olympics in 2016, and finally carnations (“Carnation”), the national flower of Spain, where her wife, Marta Xargay, is from.
As with previous models, the colorways promise to be varied and focused on Breanna Stewart's achievements and passions. Among the five colorways already available in France, the “Paris City of Love” in different shades of blue and white stands out for now.
Nothing particularly negative to report in terms of durability. The whole thing seems pretty well made to withstand wear and tear, with TPU edging on the front of the foot that won't be too much. The model is pretty sturdy (494 grams in size 45), and the outsole also seems to have what it takes to last.
Rating: 8.5/10
PUMA STEWIE 3 VERDICT
Puma crowned Breanna Stewart's magnificent career by offering her a signature shoe line two years ago. After the Stewie 1 and Stewie 2, we can see that the collection has kept its DNA in terms of design and technical features. But above all, the shoe continues to improve with the Stewie 3 and that's the most important thing.
The improvements are minimal since only the layout of the midsole has really changed the model. On the other hand, we can highlight the work done on the details and finishes with this particularly successful floral theme.
We recognize the Puma paw at the level of the size, the toe, the sole. The pair is less light and perhaps less explosive than a Sabrina 2, but also corresponds to the profile of Breanna Stewart, who needs comfort as much as good support without neglecting the quality of the rebound. In conclusion, Breanna Stewart and Puma take another step in the right direction with this Stewie 3, already crowned with an Olympic success in Paris a week ago.
Note : ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Shoe weight (size 45): 494 grams
Price : available at 120 euros on Basket4Ballers
Grading Scale
- – less ⭐⭐: not recommended
- – between ⭐⭐ and ⭐⭐⭐: flaws that may put some people off but qualities that will charm others
- – ⭐⭐⭐⭐: approved and recommended pair
- – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: exceptional pair!
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