Puma
Rudolf Dassler gründete im Jahre 1948 die Puma Aktiengesellschaft Rudolf Dassler Sport, nachdem sich zuvor die Wege von ihm und seinem Bruder Adi Dassler trennten. Im selben Jahr stellte er mit dem Puma Atom den ersten Fußballschuh vor.
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In 58 the typical Puma stripe on the side panel was launched, and 10 more years later the cat logo. In the meantime, the rivalry between Rudolf and Adi became bigger, and both men tried to have the top athletes to compete in their brands. One of those athletes was Brazilian soccer star Pele, who won his second world cup in Puma shoes. In the following years Puma released classics like the King or the Suede. After Rudolf Dasslers death in 1974, his son carried on the business until 1989 when he sold the company to the Cosa Lievermann Group. However, Puma promised to invent new models and technologies, and in 1991 released the Puma Disc, which had a totally new lacing system.
Puma Suede
More than 50 years have passed since the original Puma Suede was released. Right in the middle of a turf war with adidas, back then, the silhouette is arguable one of the best of all time. Even if linked to the streets and B-Boy culture, the Suede was related to sports from day one. As a matter of fact, Tommie Smith and John Carlos took them to the podium at the 1968 Olympics. Puma was, at that moment, something bigger, something more than just style. That is all great, but it did not stop there. During the early 70s, the Suede was endorsed by the one and only Walt “Clyde” Frazier. A true legend if you ask us. Hence, this Suede iteration (aka: Clyde) was the first shoe ever to be named after a person. And guess what: they sold 2 million pairs in one single year. Up ‘till now, the Puma Suede remains as one of the most important sneakers in footwear history, keepings its OG vibes for decades. Thick rubber sole, smooth suede upper and loved by most, if not all.
Puma Ralph Sampson
If you never heard about Ralph Sampson … well, you should have. Long story short, Sampson is an NBA Hall-of-Famer and 4-times All-Star that played for the Houston Rockets during early 80s. Known for his height at 7ft4in, he was drafted first in 83’. In addition, believe it or not, his contract was actually bigger than Jordan’s. Still, Puma created an incomparable silhouette, built for grip and speed. The sneaker is known for its stability and durability, crucial specs if you want to keep up during an NBA game. Both variants, the High and Low, boasted suede uppers and were designed with Sampson’s help due to his familiarity and know-how of the sport and the court itself.
Puma RS-X
Widely underrated, the Puma RS-X embodies the future, yet recognizes the past. In other words, the “RS” (aka: Running System) was a ground-breaking and high-graded cushioning system originally debuted in the mid-80s. Now, the Puma RS-X boasts the same technology, however, the silhouette is displayed as a totally new concept. Respecting modern fashion and nodding to the OG pair, chunky Puma sneakers are here to stay. The Puma “Running System-Extreme” are boldly designed, ready to tackle most city environments.
Puma Rider
Puma took a walk down their archives and decided to bring back the Rider iterations. Firstly, one feels obliged to mention the Puma Fast Rider, known to be the first jogging shoe in Germany. Back in the 80s, brands were known to mix and match the best of sportswear into street-fashion. Hence, Puma developed the so-called Federbein technology, imitating the suspension of cars. Consequently, turning them perfect for asphalt running. Presently, the Future Rider and the Style Rider, embrace the best of the past and the future. Both are delivered in bold and frisky hues altogether with premium materials.
Puma CALI
Made for Tennis, adopted by the streets – The Puma California was debuted during the early 80s and worn by Guilhermo Villas, an Argentian Grad Slam Champion. Recently, this sports style silhouette turned a street classic, totally revamped. Puma has created the Cali model, being a women exclusive drop. The sneaker takes cues from the original model, still featuring a progressive stacked rubber sole, a super flexible leather upper and of course, a crisp and polished design that never goes out of fashion. Created to become a future icon, merging past and future into one, the Puma Cali is all about laid-back West Coast vibes.