Puma brought its Mostro sneaker out of the archives this year at the perfect time to capitalize on the reemergence of Y2K trends. The sneaker has largely kept mesh construction thus far, but now the German brand has announced two new colorways coming in a premium leather.
The Puma Mostro Perf will release this week with black-and-white and white-and-black colorways making use of a perforated leather. The two editions make use of the breathable leather in their respective primary color for the majority of the upper, while the secondary color is applied in regular leather for the Formstrip. Both versions then feature black on the leather paneling around the tongue, rubber mustache and sole units with the signature exaggerated spikes.
Puma tapped the Berlin-based label Ottolinger for a collaboration bringing back the Mostro before a wider relaunch for the silhouette in 2024 for its 25th anniversary. Appearing just as futuristic today as it did when it made its debut in 1999, the Mostro blends the aesthetics of sprinting spikes from the ’60s and surfing shoes from the ’80s. Velcro straps fasten the sneaker rather than laces, and the low-profile look gives it appeal as part of a larger trend favoring thin soles.
The Mostro was a hit in the fashion world in the fashion world and with celebrities during its original run in the early 2000s, and Puma has sought to recapture that appeal with efforts including a blowout launch party at New York Fashion Week in February.
The new leather iterations were originally shown at Puma’s Paris Fashion Week show in June, which also featured the next assortment of sneakers from brand partner A$AP Rocky. A 3D-printed version of the Mostro was shown as well, which marks Puma’s first foray into the technology.
The Puma Mostro Perf in “Black and White” and “White and Black” will release Saturday, July 13, through a range of boutiques including Kith, Ssense, Sneakernstuff, End. Clothing and more. Pricing is set at $130.
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
