Breanna Stewart Talks PUMA Stewie 1 and Having the First Women’s Signature Sneaker in a Decade
When Breanna Stewart first appeared on the cover of SLAM 229, we wrote that the portrait of a winner can be illustrated through longevity. That was published back in 2020, and since then Stewie has continued to ascend towards greatness. Now in her sixth season with the Seattle Storm, she’s nearly matching her career-high of 21 points per game. This past weekend, she made her fourth WNBA All-Star appearance as the leader of her own squad, Team Stewie, with her daughter, Ruby, in the crowd to watch her continue making her stamp on the game.
And she did so with her first signature PUMA sneaker on her feet. The Stewie 1 “Quiet Fire” was unveiled for the first time this past Friday.
Just when you thought there wasn’t another level of greatness Stewie couldn’t reach (our coverline for SLAM 229 was, after all, Breanna Stewart Can’t Stop Winning), she continues to prove time and time again that greatness can’t be contained. At this point in her career, she’s emerged into a legend, and the arrival of her first-ever signature sneaker, the Stewie 1, is the perfect canvas to capture all of her glory.
“Knowing that that was going to be the first one, I wanted to make sure it was something that, you know, popped,” Stewart told WSLAM just a few days before the unveiling. “And [that] when you see it, you couldn’t unsee it.”
The Stewie 1 reflects Stewart’s journey and the relentless competitor that she is. The bright and bold green and black colorway is a nod to the Seattle Storm, and there’s a flame molding that morphs in ripples of water to represent the essence of her elite game, as well as her humble personality. The Molded Heel Counter, which provides stability, features a neon green scar on the heel to represent Stewie’s two Achilles surgeries, and there’s even a North Star-inspired upper that pays homage to her high school team, Cicero-North Syracuse High School, and their mascot.
“It’s just a way of me never forgetting where I came from,” Stewart says over the phone.
The Stewie 1 is also equipped with multi-zoned monomesh layers for even more targeted support, along with NITRO Foam technology that gives cushioning while remaining lightweight. It was important that the Stewie 1 not only fit Stewart’s own needs as an athlete, but she wanted to create a product with PUMA that really anyone can rock.
“No matter if you’re a guard, or a post or a style you like to play, it’s something that’s definitely for everyone. It’s a [sneaker that can] make you feel like your foot [is] fully secure, and that you’re able to kind of just not think and just play. Yeah, and the design process behind that was just really wanting to have a [sneaker] where it’s the best and just doing my best to create that understanding that, you know, I have specific needs, especially with coming off of two Achilles injuries and wanting to have that support, especially in my heel and on the scar. But you want to have something that’s comfortable and looks good, too.”
For Stewart, making history with PUMA is just the start. Stewart is looking ahead at the next generation of young girls, as well as championing women around the game and beyond.
“When I look back to when I was little, there was no product to wear that was a women’s basketball [sneaker]. So, you weren’t able to get a player’s [signature sneaker] and then, like, go and [try] to play like that. And now to be able to create that connection where young players can watch me play or see me play, and then also get the product and try and emulate what I do on the court and use that as motivation—I think that’s something that’s definitely going to continue to help gain interest in our sport [ and] continue to gain a following. Because the Stewie 1, you’re going to see it on the court, off the court, you’re gonna see it in a lot of different places. And for me, that’s what’s so exciting.
“This is the first women’s basketball signature shoe in over a decade. And it’s crazy. I feel like every time I say that I’m like, I can’t believe it when you look at the amazing players in the WNBA. I hope that this just puts pressure on brands and other companies to continue to believe in women, uplift women, especially women’s basketball, and know that with everything going on, there’s no better time to invest in women and get behind us and help get us to where we need to go and help push our sport in the right direction.”
The Stewie 1 will be available this fall.
