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ICYMI: In February, photos of PUMA’s Thunder Spectra began circulating on Instagram. They were a first look at the all-new Thunder silhouette, a chunky sneaker that is very zeitgeisty. Retailers, including Overkill and Social Status, teased them and, in May, the hype continued when they were spotted on Smokepurpp and Young Never Broke Again, among others.

Fast-forward to today, and the same excitement has built around the next drop in the Thunder range, the Thunder Desert. For its women’s release, the sneakers come in two colorways that evoke the desert at dusk: natural vachetta-cream tan and smoke green-silver green. (For men, they’re available in both black and white.)

We’ve seen many iterations of the chunky sneaker this year, a lot of them in retro colorways, but the tonal coloring on the women’s release lends a softness and even elegance to the silhouette.

Highsnobiety / Dominik Schulte & Ahmed Chrediy

The subdued colors are a welcomed juxtaposition to the bulkiness of the shoe. Check out how style influencers Maria Vittoria Reale, Kerry Du, and Jiawa Liu, to name a few, are wearing them here.

The chunky sneaker continues to reign supreme in 2018, but this isn’t PUMA’s first foray into the silhouette.

The Thunder was inspired by PUMA's collaboration with the late Alexander McQueen (the PUMA x McQueen release), as well as by running models from the ’90s.

The Thunder Desert drops worldwide August 2nd on PUMA.com, in PUMA stores, and in select sneaker boutiques.

  • PhotographerDominik Schulte
  • PhotographerAhmed Chrediy
  • StylistNina Hollensteiner
  • HMUAnnika Jeck
  • ModelsGabrielle & Varusa
  • ProducerRochelle Bambury
  • Clothing (First Looks)Pants, Wunderkind; Cardigan, Urban Outfitters; Dress, Wunderkind; Longsleeve, stylist's own
  • Clothing (Second Looks)Dress, Litkovskaya; Fanny pack, Urban Outfitters; Vest & skirt, Didit Hediprasetyo
  • Clothing (Last Looks)Blouse, Raey; Vest, Ioannis; Top and pants, stylist's own); Dress, Wunderkind, earrings, Jane Koenig
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