PUMA for the Gig
The newest Discoveries from the PUMA Archive Team
February 16, 2024The newest Discoveries from the PUMA Archive Team
February 16, 2024At PUMA, our history intertwines with innovation, our Archive Team plays a vital role in preserving the heritage of PUMA. Recently, their efforts have unearthed two remarkable artifacts that shed light on our brand’s illustrious past: a pair of customized Michael Jackson Shoe and a bright yellow Rolling Stones Sweat Suit.
"From the mid-1980s, we had our own celebrity promotion department and soon we also had well-known artists wearing PUMA shoes or clothing at their concerts! Among them were greats like Gianna Nannini or Mike Oldfield!"
Back in the 80s, where celebrity promotion was popular in brand marketing, PUMA tried blending fashion and music, and seeded stars of the era with apparel and shoes fit for the stage. From Freddy Mercury and Michael Jackson to Iron Maiden and the Scorpions, or Gianna Nannini and Mike Oldfield – our brand adorned the bodies and feet of those who graced front pages and world stages.
View this post on Instagram
Yet, as time passed, these often custom-made pieces and rarities vanished into obscurity.
🔎 That’s where our Archive Team comes into play today.
A Shoe Thriller
The Michael Jackson Shoe, an item from the 1980s, came to light after being found on a fan website by chance. Initially touted as a giveaway from the “Dangerous Tour” in Munich (1992), meticulous examination revealed its true origins.
Through a labyrinthine journey of research and collaboration with collectors and enthusiasts, the Archive Team traced its lineage back to a promotional stint during the Moonwalker movie tour in 1989, where the shoe was supposedly a give-away for journalists. With each clue uncovered, the shoe’s saga unfolded, revealing its even earlier origin with an appearance on the German music magazine pages of “Bravo” in 1987. Thanks to the Archive Teams efforts, the shoes round their way back home to our Archive Bridge.
Like a Rolling Stone
Meanwhile, the enigmatic Rolling Stones Sweat Suit left even the most seasoned historians within our ranks clueless. With no documentation to be found, its existence remained a mystery. Yet the Archive Team pieced together its narrative. Most likely, a relic from the launch of the Dirty Works album in 1986, this bright yellow garment was used to promote our PUMA Cat as a gift to journalists too.
The Track Suit back
in our PUMA Archive
The Track Suit in the 1985
issue of a PUMA Catalogue
Our Archive Team is dedicated to preserving PUMA’s history and freeing these stories from the dust of the past. With each find, they keep our brand’s legacy alive for future generations and tell the tales and stories of each and every PUMA piece.
In the mid 80s Maiden signed an unlikely deal with Puma. AS: They gave us catalogues and said we could have anything. I was restrained: a couple of tracksuits, trainers and a Boris Becker racket. Some of the guys ordered the whole catalogue! #TimsTwitterListeningParty pic.twitter.com/Az8UD0VzLG
— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) July 9, 2021
SH: Rod hated it! “You look like a bloody Puma factory”. Hahaha!
— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) July 9, 2021
BD: I find it quite endearing really. It just proves that we don’t give a fuck about fashion! #TimsTwitterListeningParty pic.twitter.com/W2jpev47h7
