Puma is ushering in summer with a suite of colorful new capsule collections that tap into nostalgia, sweet tooths and a love of sport.
Rugrats
The German sportswear brand has teamed with ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) and Nickelodeon to produce a retro collection inspired by the children’s channel’s animated ‘90s hit, “Rugrats,” which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
On Friday, Puma will release a seven-piece line for adults and kids that includes both apparel and footwear. A short sleeve T-shirt featuring the animated characters playing on the Puma logo, a long sleeve purple-and-gold shirt reminiscent of character Susie Carmichael’s dress, a hooded sweatshirt featuring Reptar the tyrannosaurus and Spike, the family dog, a pair of green warmup shorts and the Puma Court Rider sneaker will be available for adults only. Meanwhile, kids will be treated to ‘90s-inspired versions of the Puma Future Rider and the Puma Classic Suede.
All products will retail for $40-$100, the brand said, and will be available on Puma.com and in the company’s global retail stores. Shoppers will also find the collection on FootLocker.com and at the retailer’s physical stores beginning June 4.
Gummy Bears
Meanwhile, the brand will gradually roll out a roster of footwear products throughout 2021 with German candy brand Haribo, best known for its world-famous gummy Goldbears.
The collection’s pieces—like the CA Pro and Street Rider silhouettes, which debuted last week for adults and juniors—are colorful and candy-colored. The Puma x Haribo CA Pro features a white leather upper with a gold heel overlay and piping, while the Street Rider, inspired by Haribo’s Happy Cherries gummy candies, is emblazoned with a bright red-and-green motif. The shoe’s patterning is complemented by a mesh upper and transparent TPU overlay, a Haribo Goldbears hangtag, and branding on the midsole. The introductory drop also includes graphic T-shirts and shorts co-branded by Haribo and Puma. It leans heavily on gold accents and cleverly mixes the brands’ logos—Puma cats and Haribo bears—creating an all-over print.
According to Puma, the brands’ second drop of product will include three color ways of the Puma Suede sneaker in adult, junior, pre-school and infant sizing—all inspired by Haribo’s Goldbears. Red, green and yellow options with translucent soles and a graphic Goldbears print and hangtag will be available sometime in the coming months, Puma said.
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A third release will include both footwear and apparel, Puma said, including a take on the Puma Suede Triplex and the Suede Wn’s Mix, as well as the RS-X3 sneaker.
The Puma x Haribo RS-X3 will undergo a technicolor transformation later this year, Puma said, featuring bright splashes of red, yellow and green as well as gold upper accents. A clear TPU formstrip and graphic printed heel piece round out the shoe’s design. The Suede Triplex, by contrast, will come in yellow with a see-through TPU top layer and will bear the Haribo slogan across its midsole. The shoe will also feature a Goldbears graphic print, printed branding on the tongue, and an extra set of laces, the brand said.
The Suede Wn’s Mix will come in a yellow suede with an all-over Goldbear print, two sets of laces, a semi-translucent rubber sole and a graphic printed outsole. Meanwhile, complementary apparel like T-shirts, shorts, hoodies and T7 track suits, all adorned with co-branded graphics, will round out the drop, Puma said. All products in the Puma x Haribo range will be available on Puma’s website and at select retail stores and accounts, ranging in price from 35 Euros (around $42) to 120 Euros (about $146).
Neymar
Despite his dropped contract with competitor Nike over sexual assault allegations, Puma moved forward in releasing a collection with Paris Saint-Germain footballer Neymar in late May on its website and in stores across Europe. The sports star serves as a brand ambassador, and has embarked on his first major lifestyle campaign with Puma this summer centered around the Wild Rider sneaker.
According to Puma, Neymar has built a name for himself not only through his on-the-pitch skills, but through his off-duty style. The player “embodies the theme” of the recognizable silhouette, the brand said, which was made to celebrate movement and youth culture.
The shoe also encompasses Puma’s “futro design” sensibility, pulling inspiration from the brand’s archives and elements of a ‘90s track spike to create a “’collage’ of past and future.” The design includes features like a formstrip that flows seamlessly into a heel pull, an exaggerated heel, and “Designed by Puma” etched across the shoe’s back. The sneaker’s nylon upper is punctuated by suede overlays, a leather strip and TPU details on the eyelets and heels.
“As someone who loves streetwear, I was thrilled when Puma approached me about being the face of a shoe outside of football,” Neymar said of the collaboration, noting that he has been wearing the style “non-stop.”
“With each release we are able to push the Rider product language forward, constantly evolving it season by season,” Danny Taylor, Puma’s sportstyle footwear design lead, added. “We consider the Rider family to be very much a constant evolving conversation,” he said. “What started the Future Rider, which was very much linked to the Easy Rider II, has progressed into something that can stand on its own without being too obvious to the original inspiration.”