Trainer trends fluctuate in superspeed, but there’s one main silhouette that’s been prevalent in 2020s culture: low-profile sneakers. With adidas Sambas and Gazelles, Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66s and the Miu Miu NBs steeped into the zeitgeist, it’s no surprise that the Speedcats have taken over the crown in 2024 – ranking third on the Lyst Index’s “hottest products” earlier this month.
The first Puma motorsport boot model was created for racing driver Stefan Bellof in 1984, and in 1998 the brand came out with a fireproof version for F1 drivers. In 1999, the Speedcat hit the general public with a lifestyle version with the same low-profile silhouette, suede and leather upper, flat outsole and heel wrap.
Although the silhouette has been under-the-radar until its 2024 comeback, the Speedcat had a massive following in the early 2000s – Puma archivist Helmut Fischer has called them the “most-sold Puma sneaker ever” with popularity among F1 circuits as well as fashion circles.
In 2024, the silhouette has quickly sped to it-shoe status since its re-release only earlier this year, with its F1 clout, major collabs such as Coperni, making an appearance on the London Fashion Week SS25 runway at Mains, Ahluwalia and Feben, and its popularity among the TikTok fashion crowd as an alternative to other low-profile shoes.
Featured image Puma©
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