Vintage Puma: where did the name and logo come from?

How did Puma come about and why did the brand get a " predator " name?

Rudolf Dassler believed that his products not only fit the winning athlete, but also reflect the qualities he needs to win. These are speed, flexibility, strength, endurance and agility. These characteristics also apply to the cougar , a predatory animal of the cat family.

This analogy was the reason for the creation of the Puma brand. In addition, Rudolph was called a puma even as a schoolboy.

What is the Puma brand?

The brand's first year was very productive and successful. In 1948 the first Puma football boots were produced.

In 1960, a new technology was introduced - vulcanization , which made it possible to create a durable product. Nobody had used this method before Puma. The company then launched another innovation: Velcro instead of laces on sports shoes.

The brand has always collaborated with various athletes and made shoes especially for them. Goals scored by players and gold medals won by athletes wearing Puma shoes made the brand famous and convinced consumers of the quality of the products.

Over time, Rudolf decided not only to focus on football, but to expand his activities and began to work with basketball players, racers, track and field athletes, tennis players, etc.

At the 1970 World Cup, Pele received $120,000 for wearing Puma sneakers. When Pelé stopped the referee to tie his shoelaces, his sneakers featuring the brand's Formstrip were seen by millions of viewers.

Rescuing the company from the crisis

After the death of Rudolf (1974) and Adolf (1978), their sons Armin and Horst took over the company. Puma, previously successful and prosperous, began losing customers. At the same time, the American brand Nike entered the market.Armin and his brother Gerd decided to give up the company's family status and sell their stake in Puma (72%).

In the early 1990s, Puma was on the brink of bankruptcy. Sales fell sharply and consumers described the brand as unassuming.

Three years later, Jochen Zeitz became CEO. He developed a new strategy and not only led the company out of the crisis, but also turned a cheap brand into a premium brand.

Jochen Zeitz developed a new strategy based on three elements - sport, active lifestyle and fashion. The focus shifted, the company broadened its horizons and began offering products for active consumers.

The goal was to make the brand popular again and make it desirable among consumers. And it worked.

Puma started collaborating with fashion designers and producing casual wear and shoes. A range of children's shoes has been launched and a dedicated collection designed for young people, women, middle-aged shoppers and the elderly.

Puma became more and more popular and began to be associated with high quality and victories. By 2002, the company opened stores around the world, including in London, Rome, Tokyo and Shanghai.

Adidas & Puma - Brothers and rivals

Two of the most popular brands in our online shop are vintage Puma and Adidas. For some it's common knowledge, for others it's hard to believe, but the founders of the two companies are brothers.

The founder of Puma (Rudolf Dassler) first rose to prominence in the sportswear world when he founded Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik with his brother Adolf in 1920. Adolph was responsible for production, Rudolph for sales. Unfortunately, they broke up in 1947 after some quarrels. Rudolf Dassler founded Puma AG two years after the separation.

The brothers' dispute affected their entire hometown: the town itself was divided into two parts - those who worked for Adolf and wore Adidas, and those who worked for Rudolf and wore Puma.

The Dassler brothers have never said what the problem is between them. However, various sources point to politics as the cause.

During the war, Rudolph fell into the hands of American soldiers and was accused of collaborating with the SS. Rudolph blamed his brother Adolf for this incident, believing he had betrayed him.

The brothers never reconciled after the war, forcing them to split the family business. Thus two competing factories were established in the same city. Each of the brothers wanted to prove that their shoes were the best, and this competition only benefited consumers.

This sometimes led to strange arguments that can only happen within the family:

1. When craftsmen or other people visit Rudolf Dassler for work privately, they always wear adidas. Why? Because they got a pair of Puma shoes as a present.
2. Unfortunately, the adidas founder was never reconciled with his brother, and they are buried at the greatest possible distance from each other in the cemetery in Herzogenaurach.

   The most popular styles from our Puma collection

   VintagePuma Sport/Outdoor - As described, Puma started as a sports shoe manufacturer and has not stopped spoiling the world of sports with its innovative and stylish products to this day.

   Vintage Puma Streetwear - No matter where you go, Puma is always there, be it as a shoe, as a Puma hoodie, or as a vintage Puma jacket, the brand is more popular than ever. The vintage Puma pieces are particularly eye-catching, because their retro design and quality are no longer so easy to get these days.