Peloton’s Alex Toussaint on His New Puma Collaboration and Closing Out the Year Strong
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Peloton fans, get ready. You can now buy Alex Toussaint’s new Puma running shoe.
The famed fitness instructor, who inked a deal with Puma in 2021, has reimagined the brand’s Deviate Nitro 3. The look is now available for $170.
Puma stated the look is a “celebration of Alex’s unique style” and is dressed in hues that serves as a nod to his favorite basketball team, the Miami Heat. The shoe is predominantly white and features pink, silver and light blue throughout.
Other personal touches include the use of his AT logo throughout the shoe, as well as excerpts from his book, “Activate Your Greatness,” on the insole and his “Execute with Intention” mantra printed on the midsole.
In terms of tech, the Puma Deviate Nitro 3 features the brand’s energy-returning Nitro Foam midsoles underfoot, as well as its stability-focused Pwrplate technology.
“I have only worn two pairs — one at home and one is in my locker at work,” Toussaint told FN. “I’ve had this shoe myself for about three or four months, and every run that I’ve done at home and every class I’ve taught has been in this shoe.”
With the shoe here, FN spoke with Toussaint about why the Puma Deviate Nitro 3 is the choice for him and how you should approach your fitness goals with the year winding down.
Why was the Deviate Nitro 3 the ideal Puma shoe for you to tell a personal story?
“Being that I’ve been running now in Peloton Tread for about two years, I’ve had the opportunity to go through a variety of different Puma shoes from a teaching perspective, and also from a training perspective running-wise. Every time I go back to the style of teaching that I do, which is high intensity interval training, track-style workout classes, the Deviate 3 has been the most comfortable, but also from a functionality standpoint, the most purposeful shoe for me. When it came time to design a shoe, they didn’t even need to pull up the list. I said Deviate 3 before they even needed to show me the list of shoes.”
You’re entering your fourth year as a Puma ambassador. What do you hope to accomplish next?
“It’s not about what’s next. It’s about living in the present and enjoying right now. I’m just thankful that Puma is even giving me an opportunity to tell my story not only through product but through the lifestyle, the alignment of the Puma brand and what they stand for. We’re going to continue to develop great running and training products that are going to be universal for the community. I just want more people to have access to Puma because of what it’s been able to do for me from a training perspective and lifestyle perspective. We’re going to continue to build our community through movement and also do it through gratitude as well.”
What shoe tips do you have for people new on their fitness journey?
“It depends what you’re doing, I would say start somewhere within the training vertical of what you’re trying to focus on. If it’s running, try to find a proper running shoe that’s suitable and comfortable for you. If it’s training, make sure the shoe is comfortable, also durable. Shoes are an extension of the human being, so it’s really just finding a shoe that’s best for you for whatever you’re trying to train.”
Last November, you led the Guinness-recognized largest running class in the world with Peloton. How can you top that? And what does that show you about the power of community?
“I’m going to try to top that by doing the same thing again this year, doing it better through evolution and just trying to expand the running vertical at Peloton. That’s my goal, to continue to provide more people opportunity to fitness through the Peloton platform, but also making sure people understand that movement is universal and tell that story with Puma. And it just shows that love is universal and movement is privilege. That’s all I’m trying to teach the people: movement is privilege and love is universal, and that’s just what I’ve been able to try to teach people since day one at peloton, whether that’s recycling or running.”
What is left in the fitness world for you to accomplish? Where would you like to take your career next?
“To quote one of my favorite rappers, J Cole: ‘If they don’t know your dreams, then they can’t shoot them down.’ I very much keep my goals and my dreams close to home because I don’t try to allow outside distractions take me off of my course of purpose.”
With the year winding down, what fitness tips do you have to share?
“I would tell people instead of trying to set new year resolutions, I would try to set all your execution goals, minor goals that could lead to long-term greatness. Instead of trying to have these macro goals, which just seem out of the park, start small because small steps leads a great distance. And try to have a community of people that hold you accountable in that process.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at [email protected].
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