{"id":188918,"date":"2026-07-29T08:44:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T06:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/?p=188918"},"modified":"2026-07-29T08:52:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T06:52:09","slug":"a-history-of-firsts-4-decades-of-puma-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/a-history-of-firsts-4-decades-of-puma-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Una historia de primicias: cuatro d\u00e9cadas de innovaci\u00f3n en PUMA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Inicio<\/a>\/\n Deportes<\/a>\/\n A History of Firsts: 4 Decades of PUMA Innovation\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Una historia de primicias: cuatro d\u00e9cadas de innovaci\u00f3n en PUMA<\/h1>\n
From the pitch to the track, explore PUMA\u2019s iconic legacy<\/div>\n
29 de julio de 2026 <\/div>\n\n
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In nearly 80 years of sporting history, PUMA has proven time and time again to be a technology pioneer. Surprising innovations have propelled sports to new heights and helped countless athletes use their untapped potential.

Newness is in PUMA\u2019s nature. In the first of this two-part series, we look back at the brand\u2019s first few formative decades.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The fifties and sixties \u2013 super studs and speedy spikes<\/h2><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA\u2019s reputation for game-changing football boots kicked off in 1950. Its first major release was the ATOM and the brand was already keen to go one step further. Rudolf Dassler teamed up with top experts, including West Germany\u2019s coach Sepp Herberger.

In 1952, the SUPER ATOM hit the pitch. It had an anatomical footbed and interchangeable, screw-in studs. For the first time, players could adapt their footwear directly to match changing pitch conditions.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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PUMA SUPER-ATOM de 1952<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Tacos atornillables en las PUMA SUPER-ATOM de 1952<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Built differently: material breakthroughs<\/strong><\/h3>PUMA was the first to shatter the unspoken rule that football boots had to be made purely from traditional leather. The late fifties and sixties ushered in an era of relentless experimentation for the brand.

In 1958, the ‘Weltmeister’ boot hit the world stage. It was also the first boot to use kangaroo leather, known for being extra thin yet flexible and durable.

In 1960, PUMA went one step further and wrapped an aggressively textured rubber across the vamp (the covering of the foot). Raised dimples across the toe box and strike area increased friction and the area that was in contact with the ball.

PUMA had gifted players more grip \u2013 and laid the groundwork for the \u2018power boots\u2019 concept popularised in the nineties.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA football boots with grip elements from the 1960s and 1970s<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Three years later, PUMA became the first sports brand to use vulcanisation (a chemical process using heat) to bond the upper with the sole. Eliminating the need for additional studs, rivets, and stitching reduced the number of potential weak points.

The PUMA KING hit the market in 1966, following Eus\u00e9bio\u2019s legendary World Cup performance. The model was the very first to use nylon materials in the outsole, marking the beginning of ultra-light footwear.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRudolf Dassler, Eus\u00e9bio and his wife Flora (f.l.t.r.)\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPUMA KING Eus\u00e9bio de 1966\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Rule-breaking speed<\/strong><\/h3>PUMA was the first to rethink the approach to speed on the track with a radical approach to racing spikes.

In the late sixties, track and field hit a turning point: traditional, soft cinder tracks were replaced by rubbery, synthetic Tartan surfaces engineered for better performance. Athletes no longer needed long, sturdy spikes. Sports brands raced to keep up.

PUMA seized the moment with the TAHOE brush spike. The design ditched traditional laces, added a fast, adjustable Velcro strap for the first time on a PUMA shoe, and replaced standard spikes with 68 tiny, 4mm-long bristles. Grip maximised; resistance minimised.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA TAHOE brush spike from 1968<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In the weeks leading up to the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, American sprinters shattered multiple world records wearing the shoe. This included the first sub-20 second 200m ever run.

Shortly before the event, organizers declared the spikes illegal and, in a very controversial decision, cancelled the records that had already been set wearing the TAHOE.

Though stripped of its official titles, the Brush Spike cemented PUMA\u2019s reputation: a brand willing to challenge the rulebook in pursuit of speed.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Taking the pressure off the achilles tendon<\/strong><\/h3>PUMA was the first to engineer footwear around the delicate mechanics of the achilles tendon in 1968. Traditional shoes tend to add friction and increase pressure on the vulnerable spot where the tendon fibers branch out into the heel bone. PUMA\u2019s response: less is more. The result: the Fers-O-Til (which translates as the Achilles Tendon Pad, or ATP).

Material was cut out of the back of the shoe, reducing pressure at the insertion point \u2013 while protective cushioning safeguarded the heel against external impacts. Precise engineering maintained a glove-like fit.

What started in 1968 as a purely anatomical change to prevent injury has since evolved into a piece of brand history. Today, the white cutout on the heel of many PUMA shoes is a nod to the iconic vent that first set the Achilles tendon free.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA Fers-O-Til from 1968<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The seventies and eighties \u2013 from biomechanics to digital pioneers<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Signature style and female firsts<\/strong><\/h3>On the court, PUMA teamed up with NBA icon Walt “Clyde” Frazier in 1971 to create the first-ever signature basketball shoe: the PUMA CLYDE.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA CLYDE from 1971<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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That same year, PUMA made history on the pitch with the Pel\u00e9rina: the world\u2019s first football boot engineered specifically for women. Decades before female-dedicated performance footwear became mainstream, PUMA was already taking the specific needs of female athletes into account.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA Pel\u00e9rina de 1971<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Elevating safety with the Sportabsatz<\/strong><\/h3>1978 saw a new footballing standard set with the Sportabsatz (translated as \u201csports heel\u201d), making PUMA the first manufacturer to elevate the heel with specific padding.

Building directly on the anatomical insights of the Fers-O-Til, PUMA\u2019s raised heel lowered the risk of muscle overextension, safeguarding players’ Achilles tendons during high-impact play.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA Sportabsatz from 1978<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From bendy straw to trendy sole<\/strong><\/h3>PUMA was the first to prove that elite sports engineering could come from the most everyday objects. In 1982, CEO Armin Dassler took inspiration from a bendy straw to bring flexibility to the pitch.

The result was the Torero Duoflex Sole: a groundbreaking design featuring molded flex zones that mirrored the foot\u2019s natural movement. By giving players fluid agility without sacrificing structural support, it laid the blueprint for the high-tech, responsive soleplates used in modern football boots today.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Anuncio de PUMA del modelo PUMA TORERO con tecnolog\u00eda DuoFlex, de 1982<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tImagen de la tecnolog\u00eda DuoFlex de PUMA de 1982\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tArmin Dassler with the new PUMA Torero in 1982\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Personalised leverage on centre court<\/strong><\/h3>PUMA was the first brand to bring custom control to the hands of athletes when it disrupted tennis in 1985 with the Power Control System (PCS) racket.
Featuring an adjustable handle that allowed players to lengthen or shorten their grip for tailored torque and control, the technology powered 17-year-old Boris Becker to his historic first Wimbledon championship.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Boris Becker's tennis racket and shoes from his Wimbledon victory in 1985<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The world\u2019s first smart shoe<\/strong><\/h3>PUMA was the first to introduce wearable fitness tracking to the world when it built a tracker directly into the heel of a running shoe in 1985.

Decades before smartwatches and fitness trackers became everyday items the PUMA RS (Running System) Computer tracked speed, distance, and calories burned using an onboard microchip.

Plugging the shoe into a desktop allowed runners to break down their stats in real time, proving PUMA was thinking about wearable tech long before anyone else.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA ad of the RS Computer from 1985<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From the pitch to the track, PUMA proved that performance and progress go hand in hand. But the brand\u2019s drive to rip up the rulebook had only just begun. Part 2 explores the iconic milestones that defined PUMA in the nineties and beyond. Stay tuned.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PUMA lleva casi 80 a\u00f1os desafiando el statu quo. Descubre entre bastidores los primeros hitos que redefinieron para siempre el rendimiento deportivo.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":188919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_top_article":true,"is_featured_article":true,"EasyPostViewCounter":96,"meta-headline":"A History of Firsts: 4 Decades of PUMA Innovation","footnotes":""},"categories":[1091,18],"class_list":["post-188918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-our-legacy","category-sports"],"fullData":{"ID":188918,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2026-07-29 08:44:24","post_date_gmt":"2026-07-29 06:44:24","post_content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","post_title":"A History of Firsts: 4 Decades of PUMA Innovation","post_excerpt":"PUMA has been challenging the status quo for nearly 80 years. Step behind-the-scenes of the early milestones that redefined athletic performance forever.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"a-history-of-firsts-4-decades-of-puma-innovation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-07-29 08:52:09","post_modified_gmt":"2026-07-29 06:52:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/?p=188918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw","ancestors":[],"page_template":"","post_category":[1091,18],"tags_input":[],"id":188918,"author":"3","date":"2026-07-29 08:44:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-29 06:44:24","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","title":"Una historia de primicias: cuatro d\u00e9cadas de innovaci\u00f3n en PUMA","excerpt":"PUMA lleva casi 80 a\u00f1os desafiando el statu quo. Descubre entre bastidores los primeros hitos que redefinieron para siempre el rendimiento deportivo.","status":"publish","password":"","name":"a-history-of-firsts-4-decades-of-puma-innovation","modified":"2026-07-29 08:52:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29 06:52:09","content_filtered":"","parent":0,"type":"post","mime_type":"","template":"","category":[1091,18],"datetime_local":"29 de julio de 2026, 6:44","date_local":"29 de julio de 2026","time_local":"6:44","slug":"a-history-of-firsts-4-decades-of-puma-innovation","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/a-history-of-firsts-4-decades-of-puma-innovation\/","featured_image":{"width":1476,"height":1023,"file":"2026\/07\/History-of-Firsts-Catch-Up-Titelbild.webp","filesize":402118,"sizes":{"medium":{"file":"History-of-Firsts-Catch-Up-Titelbild-300x208.webp","width":300,"height":208,"mime-type":"image\/webp","filesize":12764},"large":{"file":"History-of-Firsts-Catch-Up-Titelbild-1024x710.webp","width":1024,"height":710,"mime-type":"image\/webp","filesize":120582},"thumbnail":{"file":"History-of-Firsts-Catch-Up-Titelbild-150x150.webp","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/webp","filesize":6416},"medium_large":{"file":"History-of-Firsts-Catch-Up-Titelbild-768x532.webp","width":768,"height":532,"mime-type":"image\/webp","filesize":71420},"trp-custom-language-flag":{"file":"History-of-Firsts-Catch-Up-Titelbild-18x12.webp","width":18,"height":12,"mime-type":"image\/webp","filesize":608}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[],"alt":""},"id":188919,"alt":"","caption":"","description":"","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/History-of-Firsts-Catch-Up-Titelbild.webp","title":"History of Firsts Catch Up Titelbild","aspect_ratio":1.4428152492668622,"focalPointLeft":0.5,"focalPointTop":0.5},"headline":"A History of Firsts: 4 Decades of PUMA Innovation","categories":[{"term_id":18,"name":"Deportes","slug":"sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":874,"filter":"raw","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/category\/sports\/"},{"term_id":1091,"name":"Nuestro legado","slug":"our-legacy","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1091,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":24,"filter":"raw","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/category\/our-legacy\/"}],"theCategory":{"term_id":18,"name":"Deportes","slug":"sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":874,"filter":"raw","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/category\/sports\/"},"isFeaturedArticle":true,"isTopArticle":true},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}