Have you ever looked at something, whether it’s a person or an object, and immediately felt a stinging sensation in your eyeballs? I know, that’s a very odd thing to say. It is a situation that you would expect to see in a horror movie, where the villain is forcing the hero to stare at one of their darkest fears. But in your every day life…..has there ever been a sight that just physically assaulted your ocular cavities?

Well, I found one, and all I have to say is……parental supervision advised.

Introducing the Hali 1. pic.twitter.com/RwMcsoql50

— PUMA Basketball (@PUMAHoops) June 5, 2025

Ladies and Gentlemen……these are the Hali 1’s. These sneakers, which are the signature “brain child” of Indiana Pacers G Tyrese Haliburton and renowned designer Salehe Bembury, were officially announced online this past Thursday prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals. It was a monumental moment for the 25-year old All-Star, who ended up wearing them on the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

They’re a great shoe, don’t get me wrong. PUMA is really coming into their own when it comes to creating basketball shoes. They’re really etching out a brand for themselves; with the likes of LaMelo Ball, Breanna Stewart, and Scoot Henderson signed to their company. But when it comes to the Hali’s, I do have a question…..

Why do they look so UGLY?!

Seriously; these shoes look like a literal brain. They look like something your Aunt bought for you as a kid (that you never wore), because she thought they looked “nifty.” NOT ONLY THAT; the Hali 1’s look like a pair of shoes that you can find on every “Clearance” table across these United States.

They. are. BAD! I know, I get it; “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” If PUMA didn’t like them, they wouldn’t sell them. If Haliburton didn’t like them, he wouldn’t put his name on them. But having said that……we can’t REALLY expect a lot of these to move when they officially drop in September? Right?

WHAT THE HALIBURTON AGAIN 😱

TYRESE WINS GAME 1 OF THE NBA FINALS FOR THE PACERS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TLv6OtQyWV

— ESPN (@espn) June 6, 2025

Personally, after this……I think it’s safe to say that Hali will not have ANY TROUBLE finding takers for his kicks. It doesn’t matter how GROTESQUE the actual product looks, because HYPE is going to win over anything else. The (somewhat) star guard LITERALLY crated an ad for PUMA right before our very eyes, that is BOUND TO carry the brand all of the way to the Christmas season.

Simply put; congrats to Tyrese on the success. But PLEASE put some more thought into the Hali 2s. I beg you!

But in the end, as always…..what do I know? I’m just a guy from the Midwest, with a beer and a laptop, trying to make sense of this world.