See the new Tyrese Haliburton mural in Indianapolis
Take a look at the new Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton mural created by artist William Minion.
Tyrese Haliburton sold 317 of his Hali 1s in its opal colorway at Hali-Mart in Indianapolis on ThursdayHali-Mart was absurd in a fun way with empty boxes of Tyrese Tenders, Hali Hot Wings and Halitos’He’s bringing some life to the city. I appreciate him. I hope he stays here a long time’
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Howard got let out of work early Thursday morning at Crew Car Wash in Westfield due to rain and didn’t realize at the time how big of a break that was.
The 25-year-old Noblesville native and Pacers fan had planned to drive in to downtown Indianapolis on Thursday to get a pair of Tyrese Haliburton’s new signature Puma shoes — the Hali 1 in its “opal” colorway — at the pop-up store called “Hali Mart” at the corner of 9th and Pennsylvania Streets. The shoe drops nationally Friday, but Puma and Haliburton made 317 pairs available for sale Thursday at Hali Mart, an ode to Indianapolis’ area code.
The pop-up store was set to be open from 3-7 p.m., so Howard figured he could get in line around 2 p.m. and still get a pair of shoes. However, he saw photos on Facebook at around 11 a.m. that there were at least 30 people in line already and figured he better hustle. Howard was in line by 12:40 p.m. and there were already close to 100 people in line which meant he spent most of an afternoon on the 9th Street sidewalk between Delaware and Pennsylvania Streets. He finally got in to Hali Mart around 5 p.m, but left with a pair of signed shoes, a signature on a jersey and quality time spent with the Pacers All-Star point guard, who hung out near the register and shook hands, took photos and generally engaged with everybody who came through the store.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Howard said. “I was like, ‘Is he going to just take photos? Is he just going to just sign the shoes?’ But no, he signed everything I had, which was awesome.”
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Thursday’s event marked a significant milestone for Haliburton in the midst of what has been and will continue to be a trying year. With a string of remarkable performances in clutch situations and game-winning or game-tying shots in four playoff series, Haliburton led the Pacers to their first NBA Finals run in 25 years. However he suffered a calf strain in Game 5 of the Finals, then a right Achilles tendon tear in Game 7. That injury took the wind out of the Pacers’ sails en route to a defeat at the hands of the Thunder and it will cost Haliburton all of the 2025-26 season.
Still, that playoff run broadened Haliburton’s appeal as an NBA superstar, making him a household name beyond households that include Pacers fans and NBA die-hards. The public launch of his first signature shoe marks another step in his marketability and is also sentimentally meaningful for Haliburton, a sneakerhead and fashion connoisuer.
So Haliburton treated the event like a celebration. His parents John and Brenda were in attendance as was his fiancee Jade Jones. Several of the Pacers’ player development coaches showed up as did teammate Johnny Furphy.
When Puma announced that there would be a pop-up store in Indy weeks ago, they also released promotional photos and a video commercial playing on the “Hali Mart” theme with Haliburton holding the shoes while wearing the smock frequently worn by grocery store employees and also showing off shoes as if they were being sold out of the produce department. The Hali-Mart pop-up stuck to the same theme. Puma turned an abandoned building that not long ago was a CBD shop into a faux grocery store in days. The shoes were showcased behind glass in a deli counter. There was a freezer section with (empty) boxes of frozen chicken tenders (Tyrese Tenders), wings (Hali Hot Wings) and pizza (Puma Pie.) On the shelves were boxes of cereal (Hali O’s) and bags of an unspecified spicy snack food (Halitos). There was a produce stand with actual fruits and vegetables and even a magazine stand with publications that had covers but no pages.
Fans seemed to enjoy the absurdity and more to the point relished the opportunity to connect with the man who helped bring the Pacers closer to an NBA championship than they’d ever been in their history. An hour before the store opened, the line stretched all the way from Pennsylvania to Delaware Street on 9th and was well beyond that by the time the doors opened. Some in line were sneakerheads who would be happy to pick up anyone’s shoes, but most came in Haliburton jerseys or Pacers t-shirts and were there because they were fans of the home team.
“He’s brought a lot of life back into this city,” said Curtis Guyon, a 32-year-old from Indianapolis’ east side. “Especially with the team, everyone’s turning out. The crowd is amazing. Went to a lot of Pacers games. They’re sold out every time. He’s bringing some life to the city. I appreciate him. I hope he stays here a long time.”
There was much agreement on that last sentiment from a fan base that has been burned by several of the stars who have come through since legend Reggie Miller retired in 2005. Paul George, Victor Oladipo and others were beloved for a time, but Haliburton has built a stronger connection in part because he’s been so visible in Indianapolis. Howard said he’s conversed with Haliburton several times before because Howard has been a member of the Turner’s Block fan section named for since-departed center Myles Turner. It’s notable to Howard that Haliburton remembers him, and the two had a conversation about WWE Wrestlepalooza, which Howard attended and Haliburton took part in.
“It’s cool to see a superstar like this in Indianapolis,” Howard said. “We haven’t had this in a long time. … It’s cool to see this city kind of surround him and bring him in. I know he’s going to be injured next year. It’s still good to see the love with him. Keep him here for many years and hopefully he’ll bring us a championship, which he almost did.”
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