Puma Shoes
Puma is one of the largest sport and lifestyle brands in the world. The brand logo — No.1 logo as they call it– is as prominent as the Adidas’ Trefoil. However, it took a lot of iterations before arriving at the final image. The logo first became famous in the whole of Germany. It features a leaping puma above the upper right corner of the word “PUMA.” Rudolf Dassler, the founder of Puma Shoes, chose this panther to represent speed, strength, adaptability, perseverance, and skill.
Despite recognition in Germany, Puma wasn’t all bold until they introduced the formstrip. The formstrip is a band that stretches the length of a shoe starting from the heel and finishing at the sole. Initially, the purpose of the formstrip was to add more stability to the foot in the shoe, but it went further and gave a unique identity to their products. Since then, the brand has grown consistently. Sportsmen such as German sprinter Heinz Fütterer — who broke the 100m world record in 1954, and Pele— Brazilian footballer who won the 1962 World Cup, both wore Puma shoes to victory.
Onward always, Puma has been dishing out many innovations on their shoes. They do this by collaborating with designers and famous artists such as Rihanna, Meek Mill, and Jay-Z, to mention a few. They also produce running, basketball, golf, skating, motorsport, driving, and tennis shoes.
Puma Basketball Shoes
Puma is known for its fantastic basketball shoes in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The first Puma Basketball shoe is known as Clyde. It got its name after 1973 New York Knicks point guard Walt Frazier (Clyde). Back in the 70s, the German Puma wanted to break into the basketball market, a sport that is dominated by Americans.
In the 1969/70 season, Walt “Clyde” Frazier led the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship, which made him a star. As a result of his feat, Puma then approached him for a deal to be their ambassador and offered to collaborate on a shoe line. Walt “Clyde” Frazier was the first-ever Puma basketball shoe ambassador in the NBA.
Walt Frazier demanded that his signature “Clyde” be printed on every shoe. At the time, Walt Frazier became the first pro basketball player to have a signature shoe, almost two decades before Michael Jordan. The shoe debuted in 1973, and ever since, it has surfaced as one of the most influential sneakers of all time.
The relaunch of Puma Basketball shoes featured additions to the Clyde, giving it a whole new feel. They signed a new deal with Clyde and collaborated with artists to launch two new shoes; Clyde Court in 2018 and Clyde Hardwood in 2019.
Clyde Court
Image Source: Puma
This Puma basketball shoe has the latest cutting edge technology from Puma Shoes. Some of the features of this shoe include;
- The fully knitted upper and innovative sock-like collar makes it breathable.
- The sneaker’s inner sleeve construction makes it very flexible and gives a comfortable feel to the foot.
- The shoe’s sole has a heel counter covered with a translucent rubber outsole, which boosts stability and traction on the court.
- It’s stylish, lightweight, and breathable.
- It has a dynamic lacing system that ensures your foot is firm in it.
- It has the PUMA Formstrip branding across the side.
They come in 3 collaborations. But the famous one is the reform — a collaboration with Meek Mill to help people unjustly jailed with money made from it.
Clyde Hardwood
Image Source: Puma
The Clyde Hardwood features a luxurious suede on the heel and a leather upper that showcases Puma’s retro aesthetic. It also features the latest cushion from puma shoes, called PRO FOAM. The lacing system on the low-cut sneaker has a traditional style and the formstrip for perfect court stability. This puma basketball shoe is stylish, lightweight, durable, and runs true to size.
Puma Majesty
During the 80s, after Clyde’s contract with Puma expired, they signed a deal with Ralph Samson. This deal created the puma majesty — Ralph Samson’s signature shoe. Similarly, the same way they revisited Cylde when they relaunched, they did to Ralph.
They made a new Puma Basketball shoe based on the puma majesty and named it the Ralph Samson collection. This collection houses both off-court and on-court drip for performance and lifestyle dominance. They are generally stylish, lightweight, durable, and, most importantly, run true to size.
Puma Basketball shoes’ price ranges from $120, ranging up to $220, depending on your preference and features.
Puma Running Shoes
Notable runners like Armin Hary won two gold medals in the 1958 European championships in 100m & 200m. And Heinz Fütterer, who won two gold medals in the 1954 European Championships 100m race & 4X100m relay, both set these world records with Puma Shoes. Since then, they have gotten better with the advancement in technology. Puma Running shoes are well known to be lightweight, comfortable, stylish, durable, and run true to size.
Furthermore, they have great heel and ankle support to provide protection and stability for runners with different abilities. Some of Puma Running Shoes are hybrid rocket runners, axelion blocks, and tazon 6 FM, to mention a few. Puma Running shoes range from $50, ranging up to $180, depending on your preference and features. Two distinguish Puma Running shoes are Future rider and hybrid speed orbiter.
Future rider:
Puma Future Rider Play On Sneakers | Image Source: Puma
This shoe is a revamp of Puma’s 1980 Fast Rider running shoe. Today it’s more of a sport style shoe with the name Future Rider and features most of Puma’s cutting edge technology. Some of its features include;
- A fabric upper with suede and leather covering, which offers style and comfort to the user.
- It is built with the IMEVA midsole for lightweight and rubber outsole for enough traction and grip.
- It’s perfect for all-day use.
- The price for this shoe starts from $80, and they run true to size.
Hybrid Speed orbiter:
SPEED Orbiter Men’s Running Shoes | Image Source: Puma
This is a Puma running shoe enhanced for maximum performance. If you want a performance shoe for running, jogging, gym training, and the like, this is a go-to. It combines two of Puma’s most unique midsole technologies; IGNITE foam and NRGY beads, thus the name hybrid.
Features of this Puma shoe include;
- The hybrid midsole provides instant energy return and soft cushioning.
- The knitted upper sock-like fits and takes the shape of the foot like a glove, boosting stability.
- Puma’s outsole propulsion plate (PRO PLATE) provides traction and balance.
- It has the formstrip and the usual Puma branding details.
- It is stylish, comfortable, durable, and they run true to size.
- The price range starts from $80 to $130, depending on size.
Puma Golf Shoes
Puma Ignite Pwradapt Disc Golf Shoes | Image Source: Puma
The brand has been producing excellent golf shoes for years now. Professional golfers like Rickie Fowler and Bryson DeChambeau have worn the brand shoe on the course. Their shoe design boosts stability, power, and comfort. Puma Golf Shoes come in two forms; spiked and spikeless. Some spiked Puma Golf Shoes include Ignite Pwradapt Golf Shoes, Ignite Pwradapt Disc Golf Shoes, and Ignite Pwradapt Leather Golf Shoes.
Furthermore, each of these spiked shoes has a two-year water-resistant warranty. Plus, they run true to size. Their price range starts from $100 up to $150, depending on your preference and features. Some spikeless Puma Golf Shoes include RS-G golf shoes and Ignite NXT lace golf shoes. Each of these spikeless shoes has one-year water-resistant, and they run true to size. Their price range starts from $100, ranging up to $150, depending on your preference and features.
Puma Shoes for men
Puma has a massive collection of men’s performance and lifestyle shoes. They feature engineered technologies for performance and designs for a stylish look. The shoes are inspired by classic design silhouettes that were trendsetters in the 80s and 90s. The list of Puma shoes for men is endless. Another fascinating aspect of Puma men’s shoes is that they are adaptable for different purposes. A famous Puma men’s shoes worth mentioning is the Puma Suede.
Puma Suede
Puma Suede | Image Source: Puma
This shoe is perhaps the most iconic Puma men’s shoe. It debuted in the 60s and has marked its presence in some of modern history. For example, in Mexico’s 1968 Olympic games, the American athlete Tommie Smith broke the 200m world record wearing the Suede shoe. He then raised his left foot Suede, placed it on the stand while receiving his medal, and then raised his right hand in a silent gesture during the American anthem. Apparently, the silent gesture was a protest for equal human rights.
After that, the shoe’s popularity increased and has graced the foot of some famous personnel in history. It’s no surprise it ranks as one of the highest-selling Puma men’s shoes of all time. However, it is still very much around today with a lot of designs inspired by designers, including celebrities such as Alexander McQueen, J Cole, and The weekend. Moreover, they are available in multiple colorways.
Puma Shoes for women
They also feature engineered technologies for performance and stylish designs perfect for every women’s taste. The list of Puma shoes for women is endless with different features with stars like Rihanna, Charlotte Olympia, Tabitha Simmons, to mention a few. Puma Shoes for women are suitable for female athletes in running and basketball, among others; it’s also ideal for gym and everyday use. Stand out at a party, a dinner, or any fashion occasion with Puma’s sleek design and various colorways. Some notable Puma Shoes for women are under the Suede Classic line.
Suede Classic Women’s Sneakers | Image Source: Puma
Suede Classic Women’s Sneakers: This is the same iconic Puma Suede shoe but designed for a woman’s foot. The Suede got so popular that Puma had to create a woman’s version for women to share in its glory. Recently, female celebrities have collaborated with Puma to design suede shoes such as Cali, Deva, and many more.
Final Thought
Consistently, Puma has continued to demonstrate their shoemaking skill, proving they are the big cat in the shoe world. They are the third-largest sportswear manufacturers in the world, behind Adidas and Nike. Also, they collaborate with famous athletes and artists worldwide to keep on creating magic in shoe forms. In short, you can get a Puma shoe inspired by your favorite athlete or artist and partake in their prowess.
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