Richmond superstar Dustin Martin splits with Puma and is on hunt for new boot sponsor

Richmond gun Dustin Martin had a week of for suspension and came back to the footy field with new boots. The Tigers’ star had a notable change of footwear choice on the weekend against the Swans. Here’s why

Dustin Martin switched from Puma to Nike footy boots on the weekend — and he’s on the hunt for a new sponsor.

Dustin Martin is in the market for new boots after splitting with Puma, just one year into a four-year deal.

Martin, who won the 2017 Brownlow medal and premiership in Puma EvoPower boots — which are no longer available — is understood to be trialling options.

The Richmond superstar signed a four-year deal extension at the start of last season, and was the face of the brand’s “Future” boot.

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Dustin Martin switched from Puma to Nike footy boots on the weekend — and he’s on the hunt for a new sponsor.

But in Saturday night’s 22-point win over Sydney, Martin wore bright orange Nike Phantom VNM Elite boots, having donned Pumas for the first three rounds of the season.

Martin lists himself as a Puma athlete on his Twitter account but there is no mention of the brand in the bio of his Instagram account — his preferred medium — with his last Puma-related post on January 13.

“To be considered by a global brand to be in the same category as people like (Usain) Bolt and Rihanna is really humbling, and I’m proud to be part of the PUMA team for the next 4 years,” he said when he signed the deal in February last year.

Martin’s manager, Ralph Carr, declined to comment on the matter when contacted by the Herald Sun on Monday.

Martin’s teammate Brandon Ellis told the Herald Sun post-game that he thought the boots “worked well” for his fellow premiership Tiger on Saturday night, and that they were “a bit flashy”.

Dustin Martin wears his old Pumas in the 2017 Grand Final. Picture: AAP

It is understood the relationship took a hit given Martin’s fondness for the EvoPower boot (pictured above in 2017), which he had worn since 2016, over the new design.

Puma said in a statement that it had been “working closely with Martin through a transition period to the new style of Puma boot but through this process it has been agreed upon by both parties to end the relationship”.

“We have loved working with Dustin and watching him go from strength to strength throughout his career,” Puma Oceania general manager Pancho Gustein said.

“For the moment, our journey with Dustin has come to an end and we wish him all the best for the remainder of the 2019 season and for what the future holds.”

Martin also has endorsement deals with Bonds and Voost.

On the night of his Brownlow medal win, Puma commissioned a mural of the star Tiger to be completed overnight, with the artwork still adorning a wall on the corner of Rowena Parade and Alfred Street in Richmond.