Skepta x PUMA = Big Heat from Big Smoke
PUMA is claiming the year as its own, unearthing its most excellent sneakers for comebacks and growing its collaborative roster with the buzziest names in the industry. The sportswear brand successfully brought Rihanna and her Fenty brand back under the PUMA umbrella. Now, Skepta's PUMA collab appears to be next up.
For a couple of months now, Skepta has kept fans afloat with baby spoonfuls of his PUMA collaboration, teasing them in the most casual ways. You could blink and miss the quiet reveal if you aren't watching closely.
You may have also noticed the man referred to as Big Smoke wearing some mysterious PUMA shoes during his Mains brand's first runway show at London Fashion Week.
Skepta's "Gas Me Up (Diligent)" music video also doubled as a Skepta x PUMA preview. In the visual, the musician flexed a collaborative PUMA puffer jacket marked with co-branding on the backside, as he rapped on rooftops and sipped on Chic-fil-A refreshments.
PUMA welcomed Big Smoke into the family in 2022, bringing Skepta's years-long relationship with Nike to a close.
PUMA and Skepta wasted no time in getting down to business. The internet's favorite face helped debut PUMA's then-new Velophasis sneaker in 2023, while a new colorway starred in Skepta's first runway presentation later the same year.
Surprisingly, the Velophasis sneaker from the Mains show wasn't an official collab. But there was an unfamiliar iridescent PUMA sneaker in view — more like laced up on Skepta's feet — during Mains' tennis-influenced presentation.
The luminous take harkened me back to the days of Skepta's shiny Nike Air Max sneakers. Although still speaking to his design signatures, this particular stepper marked a new era with PUMA.
Fans believe the unreleased PUMA model is Skepta's first signature PUMA sneaker. And so far, the chunky-soled shoe is expected to receive a few nice colorways, including white and the color-changing rendition as seen on Skepta.
PUMA x Skepta will also have apparel up for grabs, most noticeably a nice padded jacket that packs plenty of puff, from the looks of the super inflated piece.
So, when is Skepta x PUMA dropping? Skepta x PUMA shoes and clothes are expected to release in the first half of 2024, according to sources.
Well, if my math is math-ing correctly, Skepta x PUMA could arrive before June ends — maybe even earlier, given these consistent teases. Nonetheless, Big Smoke is delivering big heat with PUMA this year.
