The ‘Puma Suede’ celebrates its 50th anniversary
In honor of the 50th anniversary of its cult sneaker ‘Puma Suede’, Puma will be introducing 50 new styles of the sneaker.
The shoe brand will be collaborating with icons from a wide range of disciplines – such as music, fashion, street and pop culture – to introduce 50 fashionable as well as unique and newly interpreted versions of the Suede model under the motto #ForAllTime. According to Helmut Fischer, Puma’s chief archivist, because the Suede represents what Puma stands for as a brand, a classic model has become a must-have, a cult symbol!
The ‘Puma Suede’ was launched in 1968 and was truly revolutionary in its innovation. Instead of the typical sports shoe made of linen and classic leather that dominated sportswear to date – Puma’s new model presented itself as a new darling among the top athletes of the late ’60s. 1968 was also the year when people were fighting for human rights around the world and American society was still marked by racism.
A large number of African-American athletes had boycotted the Olympics in the hope of setting a clear example of equality. Tommie Smith who broke the world record on the 200m race wearing Puma sneakers walked towards the podium holding a ‘Puma Suede’ in his hand. This became an iconic moment in sporting history, illustrating the tireless struggle for equality and human rights and that black lives mattered. Today, the Suede sneaker is used as a fashion highlight in everyday life.
To kick start its celebration, Puma is bringing back the B-boy Fabulous pack and the Made in Japan Collector’s pack. During the 80s and 90s, the B-Boy gained a lot of popularity in the hip-hop scene, thanks to its rubber sole and firm hold that was ideally suited to the needs of the dancers. Even today, the Suede is still very popular within break dance culture.
Puma has also announced a list of other anniversary collaborations which will be available by 2018. In addition to creative partner and brand ambassador Big Sean, Karl Lagerfeld, MCM and Swarovski will also be on the list and will individually reinterpret the cult sneaker.
The sale of the exclusive anniversary collection will start on 16 November 2017 online at puma.com as well as in selected stores worldwide.
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