PUMA’s new Thunder Spectra hasn’t even hit stores and it’s already a social media sensation with endorsements from celebrities, influencers, and major sneaker retailers. Today, we’re revealing your best look yet at PUMA’s latest silhouette in a shoot that’ll also show you how you can style the chunky sneaker.
PUMA’s Thunder Spectra lands squarely in the current zeitgeist of chunky silhouettes, however this is, of course, not the first time PUMA has explored this kind of design. The Thunder Spectra undoubtedly pays homage to PUMA's iconic collaboration with the late Alexander McQueen which started in 2005 and predates the new sneaker by 13 years.
Recently, both performance and luxury brands have started revealing new sneakers for the first time on the runway at some of the biggest shows on the fashion calendar. In some cases, sneakers are stealing the show. But in 2005, a collaboration between an athletic brand and a designer of McQueen’s caliber was relatively groundbreaking. Designs like the PUMA x McQ Tech Runner Low combined PUMA’s performance expertise with McQueen’s penchant for extravagance and rebellion, creating a sneaker unlike any that had come before it.
Like the Tech Runner Low, the Thunder Spectra is another fashion sneaker informed by the label’s vast running archive and history of performance innovation. The sneaker’s chunky but athletic shape and bold ‘90s-esque color pops fuse sporty elements with a fashion-forward aesthetic. Giving the shoe its heavyset appearance, a molded TPU midsole sits beneath a premium mesh and nubuck upper. A black PUMA formstrip along the side provides subtle branding amidst the yellow, blue, red, and grey panels.
Speculation around the Thunder Spectra started late January following a series of Instagram posts by the likes of Footpatrol, Overkill, CNTRBND, and Social Status. Since then, Krept and Konan, J.I.D, Smokepurpp, Youngboy Never Broke Again, Mcflyy, Belly, French insider and stylist Barbara Malewicz, and js Roques of @jaimetoutcheztoi have all been spotted in exclusive pre-release pairs.
The PUMA Thunder Spectra drops April 28 but stay tuned for more information and further release details very soon.
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