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The History of PUMA: From a Franconian Family Feud to a Global Sports Brand

PUMA is one of the brands that made modern sports shoes and the fusion of sport and street culture possible in the first place.
The story begins in 1919 in Herzogenaurach, a small Franconian town not far from Nuremberg, which was to become the unofficial world capital of sports shoes.

There, Rudolf and Adolf Dassler founded Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory), initially in their parents' laundry room.
The brothers shared an obsession: to develop sports shoes that would make athletes faster.
At the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, German athletes already wore Dassler spikes, and at the 1936 Games in Berlin, the legendary Jesse Owens won four gold medals in Dassler shoes.
However, after World War II, the brothers' relationship finally broke down.
In 1948, they separated, and Rudolf Dassler founded PUMA on October 1, 1948.
The rivalry between the two brothers divided Herzogenaurach so deeply that the city earned the nickname "City of Bent Necks" because residents always looked at each other's shoes.

PUMA King, Super Atom and the Legacy on the Field

PUMA immediately made a name for itself in football.
The Super Atom of 1952, the first football boot with screw-in studs, was developed in collaboration with national coach Sepp Herberger.
The PUMA King, launched in 1968 in honor of Eusébio, became one of the most legendary football boots of all time and accompanied Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Lothar Matthäus, among others.

PUMA Suede and Clyde: The Birth of Sneaker Culture

Beyond the football pitch, PUMA laid the foundation for an entirely new shoe category: Sportstyle.
The PUMA Suede, introduced in 1968, was one of the first sneakers deliberately designed for the street.
In the burgeoning B Boy culture of the late 1970s and 1980s, the Suede became a symbol of urban self-expression, connecting sport, music, and fashion in a way that was entirely new at the time.
The PUMA Clyde, named after basketball legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier, further underscored this cultural influence.

Innovation and Collaborations

Technologically, PUMA repeatedly pushed the industry forward.
The DISC System of 1991, the first laceless sports shoe, the TRINOMIC cushioning system, and later the CELL and NITRO technologies showed that innovation is not just a buzzword at PUMA.
In the present day, PUMA combines its sports heritage with fashion collaborations at the highest level.
Partnerships with Rihanna, who became Women's Creative Director in 2014, as well as collaborations with Rhude, AMI Paris, and A$AP Rocky, have firmly anchored PUMA in contemporary fashion culture.

PUMA at Coziness

At Coziness, we carry PUMA because the brand uniquely combines the DNA of sport with the energy of urban culture.
From its founding story in Franconian Herzogenaurach to Olympic records and collaborations with the most influential creatives of our time: PUMA is both heritage and future.