Breanna Stewart's signature shoes made surprise appearance at US Open

Leylah Fernandez, left, wears Breanna Stewart's signature Puma sneakers will competing in doubles with Taylor Townsend at the 2023 US Open. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Breanna Stewart’s signature Puma shoe line with made a surprise appearance at the 2023 US Open.

Leylah Fernandez, a former US Open singles finalist, made a run to the quarterfinals in the doubles bracket with partner Taylor Townsend. During the run, she played in Stewart’s Stewie 2 sneakers.

The 21-year-old Canadian previously wore Asics in 2021, then switched to Swiss athletic shoe company On’s Roger Federer sneakers in 2022. She became the first player other than Federer, who is an investor in the brand, to wear the shoes on the court.

During the 2023 US Open, Fernandez made the switch to Puma’s Stewie 2, a basketball shoe. Stewart responded to Fernandez’s choice Thursday, writing on social media: “Be like water,” a reference to the blue-patterned “Water” colorway sported by the tennis star.

Stewart and the New York Liberty are gearing up for the start of their WNBA playoff run. The second-seeded Liberty are facing the seventh-seeded Washington Mystics in the first round, with the first game set for 7:30 p.m. ET Friday.