Sport

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Sprint king Usain Bolt has taken another bold step into the building of his business empire, with a new partnership with his long-time equipment sponsors, Puma, following the launching of his own line of products in collaboration with the German company.

Puma, who signed the 23-year-old 100m and 200m world record holder in 2003, recently launched their 'Bolt Collection', which includes training-friendly footwear and apparel all designed by the Jamaican.

The designs are said to capture the athlete's preferences in terms of on and off track styling and all feature the now famous emblem - a silhouette of the athlete striking his 'to the world' pose, which was made famous during the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

Bolt, who it was revealed has played an integral part in the design of his spikes over the years, was excited about the line and hoped that it will be well accepted by his fans.

"Throughout the years, I've helped Puma design the track spikes that I compete in, but it's been fun to get involved in the development of these fitness and lifestyle products," said Bolt. "The Bolt Crest is a symbol of all that is important to me: running, home, and my country. Being able to put my stamp on these products is an honour. I hope people will like what we've created."

Up to standards

The fashion-forward line meets Puma's now famous marriage of sports and lifestyle styles and features the sprinter's favourite colours - purple, black and green.

Bolt has been wear-testing some of his products for a few weeks during the product development, as the company sought to assure that they were up to his standards.

Among the first set of items from the collection is a hooded sweat jacket that boasts lightning stripe stitching and a breakthrough lightweight material, and a hidden compartment for MP3 players and so on.

There is also a 'speed shorts' which was designed specifically for running. The shorts feature performance fabric, moisture management and friction-reducing inner brief for comfort and support.

The Puma Bolt YoguRun sneaker is also expected to be a big hit with its breathable, lightweight upper material and extra cushioning. The footwear was inspired by the Puma Yaam, which was worn during the Beijing Games.

The Puma Bolt collection will be launched later this month at select Puma stores across the world and shop.puma.com. It will also be available at international retailers Macy's, Paragon and Michael K.