Puma
The Puma brand was born on October 1, 1948, when Rudolf “Rudi” Dassler registered the brand name with the German Patent and Trademark Office.
Dassler was already a celebrated shoemaker. Twenty-eight years earlier, he and brother Adolf “Adi” Dassler opened a footwear factory in their hometown of Herzogenaurach, Germany. Their products soon became popular with elite runners, including Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin wearing Dassler spikes. The Dassler brothers’ breakup following World War II is one of the most legendary stories in athletics — and one of its biggest rivalries. Adolf went on to found Adidas. Both sports giants remain based in Herzogenaurach.
For Puma, its first big success came in 1950 with the Atom football/soccer boot, marking a long heritage in the sport. Its most iconic style, though, is the Puma Suede, which launched ahead of the 1968 Olympics, where it was famously worn by Tommie Smith. For a time, the sneaker was called the Puma Clyde in honor of Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Then in the 1980s, it became the Suede and was adopted by New York’s b-boy crews and West Coast skateboarders, cementing its universal appeal. Puma scored another hit in 2016 when it unveiled the Fenty x Puma Creeper with brand partner Rihanna, earning it the FN Shoe of the Year award.
Puma
Puma Slightly Raises FY Guidance as Q1 Sales Grow 12%
The company flagged the uncertain trade environment between the U.S. and China.
Puma’s Director of Innovation On the New Frontiers of Biodesign
The German activewear brand at Milan Design Week in April will showcase four experiments developed with MIT…
Rapper Big Sean on Sneaker Culture, Social Media and Mental Health
The 29-year-old Detroit native celebrated the launch of his first collection for Puma in Los Angeles on…
Puma Releases Midterm Financial Outlook
The sportswear brand is holding its first Capital Markets Day in years.
Puma Touts ‘Generation Hustle’
The sportswear brand wants to continue investing in key influencers from the sports and entertainment worlds…
European Sports Brands Gear Athletes for Olympics
Puma, Lacoste, Fusalp and Odlo are among labels angling for winter exposure by outfitting competitors in the…
Kering to Distribute Puma Stake to Its Shareholders
Kering is fine tuning its focus on luxury. The Gucci and Balenciaga owner announced Thursday that it plans to…
Puma Plans to Stay Course as Kering Steps Back
The German sportswear-maker welcomed a higher level of free floating shares as attractive to investors.
Puma Obtains Preliminary Injunction Against Philipp Plein
The German sporting goods company has accused the designer of using a cat logo similar to its own.
Kering to Distribute Majority of Puma Shares
The brand operator is looking to "reinforce" its focus on luxury by limiting its stake in Puma — and another…
Rihanna’s Hand in Fenty Designs Questioned as Puma, Forever 21 Suit Escalates
Forever 21 wants to know exactly how involved the singer was in the designs of some popular Fenty shoe styles.
Green Supply Chain Map Exposes China as Worst of Factory Polluters
Two environmental organizations collaborated on a map linking apparel brands to their Chinese factories.
Collaborations Brought Newness to Footwear in 2017
Collaborations deliver an instant fresh perspective to footwear brands. This year, major footwear players…
The Year in Sneakers: Speed, Celebrity & Trump-Related Missteps
For a category that churns out effortless cool fashion on a weekly basis, the sneaker business proved to be a…
Which Fashion, Beauty and Retail Players Saw Sales Grow the Most?
The winners and losers of third-quarter earnings, according to WWD.