Puma Codes: How An Iconic Sneaker Brand Manages to Stay Relevant
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Yooo. Let’s talk about Puma for a second.
Puma sneakers have been around for decades, and you know what? They’re super slept on.
It makes sense, because they’re in a competitive space. BUT, there’s something about Puma that’s helped them stay top of mind in cultural conversations...
You know what the answer is by now: Hip-hop
The history of Puma in hip-hop specifically is super rich — just as rich as Nike or Adidas. And, in fact, many people don’t know that Puma & Adidas were founded by blood brothers who went their separate ways afters beefing over the company they started together, the Dassler Shoe Company.
Moreover, people also don’t know that in the 1936 olympics, Jesse Owens beat Berlin wearing their shoes. Shout to The GOAT (seen below).
As you can see, Puma’s history runs deep. And though the shell-toe Adidas is propped up as one of hip-hop’s greatest shoes, we can’t forget about their (literal) brother sneaker.
That said, let’s talk about…
Puma Suedes
The first Suede sneaker from Puma hit the scene in the 60s, and were affectionately known as “Crack” — yes, you read that correctly.
The Puma Suedes experienced a major cultural moment via sports, much like with Jesse Owens. However, this time they appeared on the feet of Tommie Smith, Track star, who won the 1968 Olympic games in those shoes.
For those who don’t know, this was the Olympic games where Smith and the other winner John Carlos gave the Black Power Salute after winning Gold & Bronze in the Men’s 200m race.
It was one of the most important moments in American history, and Puma was in the picture.
And, in case you were wondering, Tommie Smith is the middle:
Fast Forward to the 80s…
Hip-hop as a culture was only a few years old at the start of the decade. However, as the culture began to take shape, one of its four elements, dancing, became how many youths learned about Hip-hop culture.
Teens from New York and surrounding areas formed crews who would b-boy. However, after some time, the media ended up calling their style breakdancing. As the name implies, the crews would formulate routines that they could do over drum breaks, and occasionally test their skills by competing with surrounding crews.
You know what they were wearing? Just guess (or look below).
They were wearing Pumas!
What you’re seeing below is a vintage photo of some B-boys on what appears to be a New York train. And, if you zoom in on their feet, you’ll see that two of the members are in black Puma sneakers.
Puma became the official brand of breakdancing and crews were known to dip themselves in Puma from head to toe.
The track suits were Puma. The shoes were suede. Everything was Puma.
The Puma Suedes were even featured in one of the first (and most revered) Hip-hop films “Beat Street.” In the poster seen below not only do you see a large Puma logo, but the dancers are wearing Puma also.
If that wasn’t enough, the Suedes could also be seen on the feet of two of New York’s most popular b-boys crews at the time: The New York City Breakers, and The Rocksteady Crew. The brand had a stronghold on the culture.
Fast Forward to Today and…
Puma has selected a series of artists who function as “ambassadors” for the brand.
While the ambassadorships range in terms of yield (some include shoe lines, others have yet to be defined) it’s increasingly clear that Puma is committed to their Hip-Hop roots.
Let’s talk about those before getting to the codes…
The Dreamers
Around the same time that J. Cole announced his album “The Off-Season” he announced that he was going to take another shot at getting into The NBA and on top of that he was now a brand ambassador for Puma.
Following the announcement Cole introduced a line of new sneakers and bunch of behind the scenes content that gave insight into the collection. To date their partnership continues to expand with Puma adding more shoes to the collection that debuted in 2020.
The Spirit of Hussle
Puma continued their new slew of hip-hop partnerships in 2018 - this time working with Nipsey Hussle (RIH) in partnership with The Marathon Clothing — his apparel brand.
The partnership itself introduced a coveted capsule collection, behind the scenes content of the rapper and more. To date, though Nip is longer with us in the physical, his imprint on the brand can be seen in the pieces that they’ve since released.
Oh… And Rihanna is Working with Them Again
While details are scarce, this isn’t Rihanna’s first time partnering with the brand. However, what is new is that Fenty will be a part of the collaboration.
A Fenty x Puma collab sounds incredible. Only time will tell what it looks like but if it’s an apparel line or limited edition shoe, I’m willing to bet that it’ll be a hit.
Now, Let’s Shift Gears…
With Puma having such deep roots in hip-hop, this week’s post is less about the history and more about how they’ve been able to keep the brand relevant over time. It all comes down to a series of “codes” that they’ve implemented along the way.
Let’s talk about the Puma Codes.
Code #1: Turn Ambassadors into Partners
A favorite tactic amongst brands is appointing an influencer to a vanity position. We’ve seen it with Lady Gaga and Polaroid, and even with 2 Chainz and Krystal.
One of the reasons that Puma stays relevant is because they take it a step further by making their ambassadors long-standing partners.
Think of it like this…
Some brands opt for 1 and done partnerships or campaigns where the artist is merely a paid endorser, Puma takes its a step further by giving the creative a seat at the table.
And why does it work?
Because hearing that your favorite influence is now a part of brands marketing department gives the belief that the brand has finally thrown caution to the wind — the suits have left the building and someone who really knows what hte people want is going to make change for the better.
People feel like an authentic voice has the ear of key decision makers at the company and their concerns will finally be heard.
Code #2: Honor Your Roots
We hear a lot about brands “going back to their roots” as a way of reconnecting with their base.
It’s a cool story. Real Hallmark vibes.
But it pales in comparison to honoring your roots. It’s especially important for brands to do when considering who and what made them.
Puma’s work with Tommie Smith is prime example of that (seen below).
Tommie Smith’s presence at the Olympic games is so iconic that it set the brand on a different kind of trajectory — one that can’t be bought. Many brands would honor his gesture with a complementary shoe and call it a day, but not Puma.
They reached out to Tommie Smith and have collaborated with him over the years making sure that he’s just as much a part of the brand’s story as the rappers that they’ve made ambassadors.
And why does it work?
It works because people know that Black culture plays a pivotal role in helping brands become relevant and achieve their potential.
While many brands run from their hip-hop influence because they don’t like the association it brings, Puma hasn’t. That gives them credibility — something stronger than marketing or branding.
Code #3: Keep It Hip-hop
It only makes sense that Puma would lean into their hip-hop roots in order to keep their footing in today’s market.
On top of the brand ambassadorships with prominent rappers and honoring their roots they know that above all they’ve gotta keep it hip-hop.
And what better way to do that than by partnering with Dapper Dan?
And why does it work?
“I did not dictate fashion, I translate culture” - Dapper Dan
It’s no secret that Hip-hop was influential to Puma’s rise. Fashion and hip-hop go hand in hand and when people weren’t visiting Dapper Dan for custom Gucci & Louis Vuitton they were probably asking him to customize their other brands, like Puma.
Moreover, in the video above, Dapper Dan also mentions that Walt Frazier used to visit his shop. And for those who don’t know, Walt was actually one of the first celeb endorsers for Puma.
That said, tapping Dan for a content piece shows that Puma can tapped into a unique cultural insight, and one that earns them favor because they know the nuances of the sub-culture that they’ve aligned themselves with.
WHAT NOW?
Puma’s going to continue to thrive because they’ve been consistent in their brand story.
If you haven’t copped any yet, it’s not too late to become a fan.
Me? Think I’ll pick some Suedes this summer.
Peace.