Max Power: Everything You Need To Know About The PUMA Speedcat Trainer

The PUMA Speedcat trainer is a motorsport inspired silhouette that rose to prominence in the early noughties as a premium PUMA shoe.

Looking more like something the legendary Scottish rally driver Colin McRae would of worn as he floored it around some woodland course, the PUMA Speedcat had clear motor sport influences. Well it literally did. The original Speedcat was actually born out of a partnership with the Italian motor sport company, Sparco, which if you were into putting TV screens in car boots and neons on 19″ rims you will of course remember Sparco as the “go to” car accessories brand of the early noughties car modding scene. Sparco was literally everywhere whether it was on seatbelt pads or steering wheels on a maxed out Golf GTi with sounds of Bowlers & Bassline banging out of the precisely cut holes of the parcel shelf 6×9’s. Weirdly enough the PUMA Speedcat was also big on the car modding scene. It was the era of slightly bootcut jeans, beanies and trainer silhouettes like the PUMA Speedcat. adidas also had something similar out around the same time with a Goodyear sole with the adi Racer & everyone who spent their Tuesday evenings doing doughnuts around a Matalan car park seemed to be wearing them. We could bore you with the regurgitated press release of the revival release but when you’ve actually lived through a scene and seen it with your own eyes it will always make for a better story. We think so anyway…

The good news is for fans of the OG motor sport inspired shoe is that the Speedcat returns for 2024. First introduced as a driving inspired trainer in a mid silhouette, it was the Speedcat Low that really “sparked a fuse” in the early noughties. A popular PUMA silhouette, the Speedcat was what we would probably call a more premium shoe today. Worn with Stone Island hoodies & Prada jeans, the Speedcat marked a new generation of stylish footwear for the German sportswear brand. The performance driven “driving” silhouette also started PUMA’s very own Motorsport division which would go on to provide some of the worlds most successful racing teams from Ferrari to Red Bull Racing. The Speedcat family also featured other motorsport inspired silhouettes like the Future Cat & the Drifcat to name a few.

Following on from the popularity of other low profile suede styles like the Palermo, the Speedcat revival release couldn’t come at a better time. Featuring the signature streamline profile with ‘ultra suede’ uppers and a T-toe construction to the front. PUMA’s iconic formstrip and toe cap cat embroidery remind us of the late 90s silhouettes’ motorsport heritage with Softform+ cushioning underfoot for superior comfort. Available in two OG inspired colourways, red & black, the OG racing trainer is finished off with PUMA branding in gold foiling to the lateral sides and tongue. As far as a low profile suede silhouette goes, it doesn’t really get much better. Available now from selected PUMA stockists such as size?. Don’t forget to subscribe to Sneaker Jobs & follow @sneaker_jobs to keep up to date with all the latest industry news.