PUMA SHOES

Size chart for Puma sneakers

It was the dawn of the Roaring Twenties. The year was 1920, and Rudolf and Adolf Dassler, two industrious brothers, embarked on a journey to manufacture sports shoes. Little did they know, their efforts would mark the birth of a global sportswear giant: PUMA.

As the 1930s rolled in, the brothers found themselves pulled into the tumultuous political currents of the time, joining the Nazi Party. Their shoe-making skills were diverted to producing boots for the Wehrmacht.

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Fast forward to 1948, a year that saw the brothers part ways, giving rise to two distinct brands - Ruda and adidas. Ruda would soon rebrand itself as the PUMA we know today. The split fueled the launch of PUMA's inaugural football boot, the Atom.

By 1952, Dassler had innovated further, producing the Super Atom football boot with screw-in studs - a game-changer for players worldwide. The iconic PUMA formstrip logo made its debut in 1958, a symbol that's now synonymous with the brand.

The 1960s marked another leap forward for PUMA, which became the pioneer sports shoe manufacturer to utilize vulcanization. Fast forward to 1985, when the tennis legend Boris Becker developed a sneaker named after him. And the big hits kept coming. In 1998, PUMA inked a deal with tennis powerhouse Serena Williams, further solidifying its footprint in the world of sport.

After years of rivalry, 2009 brought an unexpected twist: a truce was called between adidas and PUMA during a friendly soccer match. From there, PUMA inked major deals in the soccer world, signing an eight-year kit deal with Borussia Dortmund in 2012, and landing the biggest deal in the company's history with Arsenal Football Club in 2014.

The mid-2010s saw PUMA branching out into pop culture. In 2015, Rihanna was announced as PUMA’s global ambassador for Women’s Training and Women’s Creative Director, influencing and creating product collections and designs. Not one to rest on its laurels, PUMA unleashed unique collaborations, joining forces with Hello Kitty in 2018 and signing Korean pop group BTS as global ambassadors. This year also marked PUMA's re-entry into the basketball sneaker market after a 20-year hiatus, with Jay Z as creative director for PUMA Basketball.

The year 1970 brought a landmark moment dubbed the "Pele Pact". Armin Dassler (Rudolf's son) and Horst Dassler (Adolf's son) agreed that world-class player Pele would be off-limits to both adidas and PUMA during the 1970 FIFA World Cup. However, the pact didn't stop Pele from flaunting PUMA’s Formstrips. The opening whistle of the match saw Pele tying his shoelaces, offering millions of viewers a close-up view of his PUMA sneakers.

Between 1970 and 1974, PUMA introduced the Clyde style, designed for basketball player Walt "Clyde" Frazier, which quickly gained popularity. But this period was also marred by tragedy with Rudolf Dassler's passing. His sons Armin and Gerd inherited the company, a transition that led to a lengthy legal dispute with Armin eventually taking over the reins.

Jumping to 2019-2020, luxury goods group Kering divested its majority stake in PUMA. Despite this, PUMA remained undeterred and launched innovative collections. The PUMA Slipstream and the PUMA x Butter Good’s Sophomore collection showcased the brand's determination to continuously evolve and reinvent.

To cap off a remarkable journey, PUMA introduced color-blocked toe box designs in 2021-2022, inspired by the late rapper Nipsey Hussle. These stylish, vibrant sneakers echoed the pioneering spirit and boldness that have been PUMA's hallmark for over a century.

PUMA's journey is a testament to perseverance and innovation, as it constantly strives to merge performance and style. From its inception in a small German town to its current status as a global sportswear behemoth, PUMA's evolution is a riveting tale of determination, resilience, and creativity.

Indeed, the Dassler brothers, who set out on their entrepreneurial journey in the 1920s, could hardly have imagined that their sports shoes would transcend the world of sports and leave indelible footprints in the worlds of fashion and pop culture. They built more than just a brand; they sparked a movement, a global phenomenon that continues to shape our society. It's a legacy that every pair of PUMA shoes carries forth, and it's what sets PUMA apart in the vast landscape of sportswear.

Steering the PUMA Ship: Current Leadership

At the helm of PUMA's sprawling sportswear empire is Bjorn Gulden, serving as the company's CEO.

PUMA hit a financial milestone in 2022, reaching a hefty revenue stream of $8.89 billion.

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