A shoe that gained legendary status amongst the NYC Hip-Hop community in the 80’s, caused such a stir back in Britain that people began to ship the shoe across the pond to feed the needs of the underground casual scene. The PUMA classic was known by many names, the “Suede’, the ‘Clyde’ or the PUMA ‘Joints’ to name but a few, but ‘States’ was adopted by those who made the shoe their own in the UK
The name ‘States’ comes from its place of birth, where the shoe was embraced by many-subcultures and most notably the Hip-Hop scene. Spring/Summer 2014 sees the re-issue of the PUMA ‘States’ back into the UK market, where it is sure to be met with nostalgia from those that were there for it’s initial release and intrigue from a whole new audience.
The iconic silhouette remains in the latest rework, but subtle differences such as an off white sole unit, perforated leather collar, foam backed tongue and a softer luxurious suede upper, are used to give the shoe a more premium feel. Rather than take away from the trainers heritage the re-issue enhances the shoe using high detailing and strikingly accurate colour ways, that resemble the original.
The PUMA States will be available exclusively from Size? from 14th March 2014. To celebrate the release, PUMA are commissioning renowned British photographer and street culture connoisseur Normski to capture the movement and reminisce upon the trainers journey to becoming a cult icon in the UK. These interviews and images will contribute to a book PUMA will be releasing in limited numbers worldwide, to celebrate the history of the ‘States’. Only 150 copies of the book will be released so keep an eye out for that one!
