Puma launches ‘Nitro? Lab’ in Los Angeles, bolsters football offering

Sportswear brand Puma has opened its first US ‘Nitro? Lab’ in Los Angeles. The latest chapter of Puma’s innovation platform follows on from editions of the Nitro? Lab in Paris, Tokyo, and London. While these editions focused on running with the Fast-R3, the LA edition turns its attention to the world of football and celebrated the global launch of the brand’s ‘Ultra Nitro 7’ football boot.

 
“Nitro is built on one obsession: what does the athlete actually need to go faster? Five years of testing, refining, and perfecting Nitro with some of the world’s best runners gave us the answer, and those learnings are now inside the Ultra Nitro 7,” said Puma’s vice president of innovation Romain Girard in a press release on Thursday. “What we’re showing here in LA goes beyond one boot. Every prototype and next-generation concept is driven by intimate conversations with our athletes and understanding what they need before the game demands it. This is where we let the next generation of players see what’s coming before anyone else does.”
 
The Lab first opened its doors to a group of young football players from the youth club LA Breakers. Announcing the Ultra Nitro 7 as its most significant move in football to date, Puma has harnessed its LA Lab to showcase its construction as well as tease new releases and showcase the national kits of all 11 Puma teams competing in the World Cup, representing almost 25% of all qualified nations.

“The Ultra Nitro 7 will make its debut on the pitch at the biggest tournament in the world, worn by players like Pulisic, Dalot, Gakpo, and others,” said Puma’s vice president of Teamsport Dominique Gathier. “With the Puma Nitro Lab, we have created the space to show Puma’s ambition to bring innovation to football, always with the obsession to help athletes perform at their best. This includes groundbreaking footwear featuring Nitro, our new performance ball also featuring Nitro, and the strongest kit lineup we’ve assembled, all engineered for the biggest stage.”