Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
If there is a brand that knows a thing or two about creating outlandish boot designs, it is Puma. For over a decade, they have been feeding us with electric colorways and wild custom patterns, most of which were limited edition.
From dragons to 3-D designs, textured patterns and the lightest boots available on the market, you never really know what to expect next from the Cat. They have continually found ways to push boundaries and keep fans excited.
Here, we take a closer look at some of the wildest designs released through the last decade!
Puma PowerCat Graphic Tokyo
Released in 2011
This is a perfect example of how Puma has takes visual design to another level, using graphics and pops of bright colors to capture the neon jungle that is Tokyo. A design on the PowerCat that is inspired by the Japanese metropolis and intended for players who want to bring something new to the pitch.
Puma evoSPEED 1.4 SL Camo
Released in 2015
Weighing in at an extraordinary 3.5oz, there is little material to this boot but it comes with some serious bite and a lightning fast attitude. Added to the package is a limited edition Camo style design, as Puma offer just a sneak peak as to what the boot has on offer. In order to see the full effect, you will need a pair of 3D glasses – yes, there is an extra layer of dimension to these SL boots. 500 pairs released worldwide.
Puma V1.10 I Kehinde Wiley
Released in 2010
A pair of boots that look like your Grandma’s curtains? No, these were a crazy Kehinde Wiley inspired Puma release that evoked the colors of Africa. The floral pattern runs right along the shoe lace cover and down the to the toe of the boot. Each pair was individually numbered.
Puma evoSPEED 1.3 Dragon
Released in 2015
These are one of my favorites! “Enter the Dragon” is absolutely exquisite. There is an advanced level of detailing like we haven’t seen before, with the entire boot wrapped in a meticulously selected Game of Thrones style pattern. Puma has mirrored the design, so what you get on one side you get flipped on the other. The focal area sits along the instep and strike zone, where you can see the Dragon head and large talon claws. From simple aspects like the teeth right down to those claws, the entire design looks extremely clear and graphic.
Puma evoSPEED 1.3 F947
Released in 2015
Another classy, speed car inspired limited edition boot release, one release in an iconic Ferrari “special editions” four pack set to celebrate the Global Sports Brand’s 10th Anniversary of Partnership with Ferrari. The boot was released in a limited edition run of only 947 pairs, featuring a classic Ferrari Rosso Corsa Red colorway and the official Scuderia Ferrari Race Shield on the front of each boot and the inner heel. With the trimmed down features in place, they weigh in at a super impressive 6.0oz, providing players with one of the lightest boot options currently on the market.
Puma evoSPEED 1.3 Africa
Released in 2015
The evoSPEED 1.3 Africa is highlighted by bold graphics that are inspired by African soccer. First, plenty of color is added – something synonymous with everything we see Puma release related to the continent. Purple, Orange and Golden Yellow are the shades that flow through the upper. A large Puma hit is added along the instep, while a detailed African sunrise graphic is added to the lateral side. Only only 500 pairs released worldwide.
Puma evoPOWER CAMO
Released in 2014
Puma has a talent of teasing the public with a little camo before key boot releases. This intro version of the evoPOWER was limited to 1000 pairs and kept the public guessing as to what technology the new release would feature. It featured a mix of white, a light teal shade, and different grays that range from light to dark that are blended throughout the boot.
Puma evoSPEED 1.3 X-Ray
Released in 2014
Another incredibly complex design that is intended to shock players that see them for the first time! The evoSPEED 1.3 gets the graphic treatment, with a depicted skeleton foot placed across the upper. Flip them over and you also get the skeletal look across the soleplate. With bones, tendons, some muscle and veins drafted across the microfiber upper material, it makes for one of the more intriguing releases we have seen in a while. 910 pairs were released worldwide.
Puma evoSPEED Alife
Released in 2014
From a complex design, to one of my least favorites. Although, again they have that immediate shock value on offer. Teaming up with Alife, a brand that is pretty brash and expressionistic. Their decision to place lighters across the upper goes against the norms and expectations of what soccer players want to see on their boots. Each of the small Green, Blue and Red panels that cover the upper are lighters. So the design is essentially a broadsheet layer of lighters that covers the entire boot.
Puma evoPOWER STAMPA
Released in 2013
Why always me? These boots were designed and created exclusively for Mario Balotelli, with limited pairs released worldwide. They featured a newsprint with plenty of iconic text right across the upper! Headliner boots for a player that continually finds himself in the headlines.
Puma PowerCat “Dia Del Futbol”
Released in 2013
The big feature of this “Dia del Futbol“ release was the individual design seen on each shoe. Each features an opposite color scheme, with the right boot featuring a black vamp and the left boot is white. “Dia del Futbol” is Spanish for “Day of Football” and the premise of this boot goes along with Mexico’s “Dia de Muertes“, or “Day of the Dead”, which falls on November 1st and 2nd. Flip them over to find a skeletal foot design across the sole.
Puma evoSPEED 1.2 Camo
Relased in 2013
On the verge of a new release, Puma dropped this limited edition pink polka-dot, Camo style, teaser boot. What could be better than a mix of wild pretty-in-pink dots right across the surface of your boots? Underneath the design was the speed focused evoSPEED 1.2. Only 200 pairs were released worldwide.
Puma evoSpeed 1 Bob Marley
Released in 2012
There was a very iconic look to this one off release, with a lightly screened image of Bob Marley surfacing on the outer side of the full-flavored and Jamaican inspired upper. If you don’t know who Bob Marley is, you might want to think about re-inventing your music taste!! The legendary Jamaican is the most renowned Reggae artist of all time and he was also an avid soccer fan. This boot is actually a collaboration between Puma and Bob Marley’s daughter, Cedella Marley. Cedella, who is a fashion designer.
Puma FUTURE 18.1 “GRIZI”
Released in 2017
Puma released a special edition version of their latest FUTURE 18.1 silo in celebration of Antoine Griezmann’s achievements. Shunned for being too small when he was the younger, the Atletico striker has gone on to become one of the best strikers in the game. This special Grizi Edition of the FUTURE was designed with Griezmann’s personal insight, a player that perfectly embodies who the FUTURE is designed for with quick thinking, instinctual and individual skills.
Puma evoPOWER Vigor Camo
Released in 2017
Before the official release of the evoPOWER Vigor 1, Puma introduced a customary Camo version to help tease the new boots technology. Underneath that wild exterior pattern lies the exact same boot and technology found in the at market release.
Visually, they are very striking and definitely stand out on feet. In hand, the pattern is dizzying and you have to really inspect the boot to comprehend just what is going on with them.
Puma evoPOWER 1.2 Graphic, Pop Art
Released in 2015
Another imaginary release, these featured an exciting pop art graphics inspired by the movement of the 1950’s. We are talking about two-dimensional graphics with clear colors and black borders to make it look like an old school comic strip. Dots are printed across the heel and partially on through to the medial and lateral portions of the midfoot. A final custom twist comes via orange dots that are applied to the white laces.
Puma FUTURE “Inhale”
Released in 2020
This is a wild release that came straight out of left field! Puma dropped a limited edition boot called FUTURE Inhale – celebrating the 2000 flagship running shoe with the same name that became an instant classic 20 years ago. No one knew they were coming! For the upper, we are talking about a mesh base with a TPU embossed skin coating to create that wave like appearance. Underfoot, you get an integrated PUMA Future 5.1 soleplate in a tribute to the iconic style.
Puma ONE “Aguero”
Released in 2020
Aguero has been a key player for PUMA across the past few seasons, becoming a leader when it comes to the ONE series. As a result, PUMA decided to acknowledge his accomplishments with a special edition pair of ONE boots, a pair that will only be made available exclusively to Aguero. The design takes advantage of the Man City Sky Blue colors, winding across the upper in a wavy, trance pattern.
Puma FUTURE 19.1 Hacked Pack
Released in 2019
The Puma FUTURE “Hacked Pack” offered a new type of digitized look, one that is influenced by computer programming code to signify a players’ ability to hack the game and create mayhem on the pitch. The colors blending across the incredibly uneven upper texturing, creating a dynamic look.
Puma FUTURE 18.1 Texture
Released in 2018
Puma cranked up the crazy with its first wild release in the FUTURE 18.1 series. We are talking “Dazed and Confused” with a high level of Safari print thrown in. The “Texture” edition highlights the design possibilities that Puma can take on the FUTURE series.. A visually effective Black Safari style pattern wraps right around the boot, covering a primary white upper up top, and meshing through the red soleplate underneath.
Are any of these releases still available to buy?
For the most part, no. A lot of them were released as limited edition, with less than 1,000 pairs available worldwide. That makes them super elusive to find in new condition these days. If you really do want to try find a pair, my advice is to head to eBay and do some research there!
Are there any designs that we missed and that you would have added to this list? If so, let us know in the comments below!
