The spiky sneaker has been in the brand's repertoire for a quarter of a century.
Puma’s Mostro is coming back in 2024 — and below, we’re looking back on its legacy over the last 25 years.
When the Mostro first debuted on the sneaker scene in the late ’90s, the style was known for its narrow, spike-soled silhouette — created with fashion-focused audiences in mind. The style notably featured a Velcro-strapped upper as well, bringing it a modern, streamlined appearance. Pairs skyrocketed in popularity throughout the early 2000s, with brief reemergences in 2017. Today, the style has come back into the sneaker label’s rotation with a range of activations, including an Ottolinger collaboration and new future colorways — plus a New York Fashion Week bash — for its 25th anniversary.
Below, brush up on the history of the Puma Mostro ahead of its comeback in 2024.
Puma initially released the Mostro sneakers in 1999, according to Puma. The style featured a narrow, low-top silhouette with uppers secured by Velcro straps. The pair was notably complete with rubber soles, which included rubber spikes across its front for a sporty edge.
The Mostro shoe’s spike-tipped soles were directly inspired by ’80s surfing shoes and traditional sprinting spikes, according to Puma Catch Up. The textured base has remained in the shoe’s various colorways over time, as well as its accompanying knee-high Mostro sneaker boots.
The Mostro was initially released in colorways including black, white and red. Over the years, the style was also launched in hues including purple, orange, pink, yellow, blue and gray across various leather and suede iterations. In 2024, the shoe’s first two colorways feature palettes of light gray and neon yellow, as seen in the style’s accompanying campaign.
Puma re-released the Mostro sneakers in 2017 with three dark colorways: black leather, navy blue suede and geometric-textured black neoprene. In 2023, Mostro’s were released in a “Coffee Roasting” shape with gum rubber soles, as previously seen on the brand’s website.
Since its release, the Puma Mostro has been worn by celebrities both off-duty and on-camera, including A$AP Rocky. In the early 2000s, Madonna frequently wore the sneakers during her 2002 “Drowned World” tour, and Scarlett Johansson wore a pair throughout her 2005 sci-fi film “The Island.”
The Mostro took center stage in Puma’s collaboration with Ottolinger, released in October 2023. The co-branded launch featured a pair of black and white high-top Mostro sneakers, as well as two sets of knee-high Mostro boots — one black and red, the other brown and metallic gold.
On Feb. 8, Puma will take over Manhattan with a New York Fashion Week event at the Park Avenue Armory. The fashion show will celebrate the Mostro sneaker and its landmark 25th anniversary, complete with displays paying homage to the style — as well as to-be-revealed musical guests for the occasion.
“With this show we will celebrate the comeback of one of our most unconventional ‘low-profile’ icons,” said Heiko Desens, Puma’s creative director, in a statement. “We will also be using this moment to reveal some Mostro design concepts clearly pointing towards the future to build the sneaker archive of tomorrow.”
About the Author:
Aaron Royce is the Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on trending news, celebrity style, collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. Prior to joining Footwear News, Aaron wrote for publications including PAPER, Grazia and the Daily Front Row. He currently holds a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.
