Ending Soonest 002: Puma
While the birth of the luxury sneaker has given way to countless collaborations between sportswear brands and some of the biggest names in fashion, the full proof profit making scheme has led to a market saturated with chunky collaborations that all seem to blend into one. The high fashion sneaker collaboration has become a rite of passage for designers looking to make an impact with a younger audience. Fashion and sportswear have not always been on talking terms though. During the noughties Puma became one of the early adopters of the high fashion sneaker collaboration with partnerships with known industry rule breakers Raf Simons, Mihara Yasuhiro, and a decade long relationship with Alexander McQueen. Before the chunky luxury sneakers that we all know and love/hate, Puma was creating its own high-end sneakers which pushed the boundaries of footwear design and aimed to create experimental silhouettes and material pairings. These are the most eye-catching Puma collaborations we came across on our late-night trawls through the secondary market.
Alexander McQueen x PUMA Sprint Lumber Shoe
As is often the case with McQueen designs, the Sprint Lumber Shoe looks simultaneously like it could be from the past and from the future, a trait rarely matched by other designers. Possibly a successor to the NY Running shoe with much the same silhouette and unique sole layout, the upper is fitted out with a super soft grainy leather and nubuck and finished with the all-important zigzag stitching. The exposed heel has been reinforced using cork which gives the shoe natural bounce and cushioning. On the other end of the pair, the toe forms an almost demi-tabi structure, further embedding McQueens design links with the natural form. The Sprint Lumber Shoe embodies the nature of McQueens partnership with Puma to create trainers which are as comfortable on the catwalk as they are on the streets.
Found here
Alexander McQueen PUMA Anatomical Vein Mid 2006
Released as part of the inaugural collection between Puma and Alexander McQueen, the Anatomical Vein Mid shoe lays bare the ethos that would run through the long standing partnership between McQueen and Puma, the shoe as an extension of the natural form. The inclination of McQueen to distort elements of the human body and create clothing which would become an extension of the human body became a defining characteristic of his entire practise and his work with Puma is no different. The skin coloured leather upper is punctuated by piping which gives the effect of thick bulbous veins to create a characteristically creepy feel, the underside of the sole is complete with tendons running from the heel to the toe. The rubber toe box originally displayed toe prints which have sadly worn away on this pair.
Found here
Alexander McQueen PUMA Anatomical Vein Low 2006
While the Anatomical Vein Low features the same sole design as the Mid, the two shoes feature very different uppers that both remain equally and undeniably true to McQueen. This model has a particularly ergonomic feel which bares certain similarities to Vibrams Furoshiki shoe. The wrap around tongue and intricate lacing system which reaches around the inner waist of the shoe allowing for a super snug barefoot feel. Unlike the Anatomical Vein Mids, these Lows are in new condition which highlights the intricacies of the sole design inspired by the tendons in a human foot and even the toe prints on the underside of the toe cap and the bottom of each tendon. This pair even comes complete with the Puma tooth charm, which extends the elevation and intricacy of design that McQueen brought to Puma.
Found here
Mihara Yasuhiro x PUMA MY-6 Disc
One of many models created in collaboration with Japanese trainer designer Mihara Yasuhiro, the MY-6 Disc is yet another example of Puma as an early adopter of the high fashion collaboration. Illustrating how Puma have encouraged designers with unique design styles and philosophies to create models that push the boundaries of what is to be expected in commercial footwear design. Utilising Pumas signature disc fastening technology the shoe still manages to cut a sleek silhouette, but the real standout element of this shoe is the moulded rubber heel box complete with contrast stitching. Almost 20 years on the MY-6 still looks like something from the future, for a purpose that doesn’t yet exist. A fellow purveyor of the unexpected, much like McQueen, Yasuhiro has enjoyed a long-term partnership with Puma which resulted in the brands Black Label.
Found here
Jil Sander x Puma Boot
Released in the late noughties when Raf Simons was still making his mark at Jil Sander, these boots embody each of the signature styles associated with the three producers of this collaboration. Despite being a luxury sneaker, this model has been designed with utilitarianism in mind and looks like something fresh out of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding. The boot features an ergonomic shaped sole with a textured tread which begins to wrap around the shoe and onto the midsole without sacrificing the sleek and streamlined silhouette. If you’re a UK7.5 and looking for a pair of durable all-purpose boots to traverse an apocalyptic terrain, then these might be the pair for you.
Found here
Alexander McQueen PUMA NY Running Shoe Summer 2007
This NY Running Shoe from the summer 2007 Alexander McQueen Puma collection are a far cry from what we have come to expect from high fashion sportwear collaborations, you’d be forgiven for thinking these shoes belonged on the feet of a high-performance athlete or an F1 driver. True to McQueen form, there is something skeletal about these streamlined trainers which incorporate leather and mesh to form the upper complete with a medical looking zigzag stitch to complete the trademark aesthetic. As can be seen throughout the decade long relationship McQueen shared with Puma there is a particular emphasis on human anatomy and the organic form, the footprint of the sole looks like it could have been left by a mythical yet totally believable creature while the slightly heeled sole gives the model a slight feline quality.
Found here
Philippe Starck x PUMA Slip On
By 2004 it seemed as though industrial designer Philippe Starck had literally designed everything that he could have possibly designed; motorbikes, a Presidential residence, photobooths, staplers, yachts, and then a collection of ultra-lightweight minimalist shoes for Puma. Instantly recognisable as something from Starck’s drawing board, these slip-on shoes are an example of ‘minimalist’ shoe design. More than just an aesthetic quality, ‘minimalist’ shoe design refers to the minimal impact on a wearers gait, shoes that are designed to feel as barefoot as possible. While they remain true to Starck’s ‘less is more’ design philosophy, this pair stands out through its use of a faux fur upper paired with a moulded rubber heel box. This model excels in deploying a specific design philosophy in both form and function. Not only displaying a minimalist aesthetic but offering a barefoot shoe experience for the wearer by keeping the foot as close to the ground as possible.
Found here