Alexander McQueen Puma King Football Boots

May 13, 2014

Puma King By Alexander McQueen

The Alexander McQueen fashion house is continuing its tradition of collaborating with German sports brand Puma, four years after the designer’s death. Both parties have announced a new project, marking the run-up to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and honouring the work previously carried out by the late star. Two unique not-for-sale editions of Puma’s iconic King football boot silhouette have been created. The limited run sees just 100 pairs constructed, to be handed to players and friends of the firms at the FIFA tournament. The most exclusive style, with just 30 made, uses a unique fish skin, which has been tanned and crafted with a gold hand finish. According to designers, the World Cup’s Golden Boot, an award presented to the highest scoring player of the thirty-day event, inspired the model. Details such as an oversized tongue have been added, alongside other additions including an ultra-light Formstrip stitch weight and high foam density for functionality. The second style has been created using supple hand-burnished Italian leather in its original, undyed brown colour. The 70-pair run carries all the same features as its sister boot while focusing on a “premium heritage feel” to “recall football’s glorious past”. A spokesperson for Puma said this latest undertaking represents a “bold reimagining” of the relationship between luxury and functionality. “Craftsmanship is at the centre of this collaborative project… Puma and Alexander McQueen romanticise the preindustrial age in the belief that a true understanding of the quality of the product can only be gained through handcraft,” he added. This is not the first time the two brands have worked together. Alexander McQueen began a longstanding relationship with the sporting giant in 2005, starting with women’s footwear before expanding into athletic fashion lines. The troubled designer, who will feature in a retrospective exhibition in London next year, went on to produce seasonal collections for Puma until his death in 2010. All 100 pairs in the limited edition Puma King by Alexander McQueen collection are now complete, as seen in the released ‘making of’ video.