Photography: Juan Carrillo
Words: Andres Carrillo
When the everyday sneakerhead thinks of PUMA there’s a pretty good chance that the first shoes that come to mind are their classics like the Suede and the Clyde. And while they continue to give us new versions of the Suede and Clyde (limited releases, collaboration, etc.), PUMA has made some other major moves over the last couple of years.

There have been many factors that have contributed to the resurgence of PUMA, with one of the most important being the big names they have been able to add to their ambassador/creative partner roster. International renowned names like Rihanna, Big Sean, The Weeknd, Selena Gomez, and more have caught the attention of a larger/diverse audience and have helped create new products to push forward the image of the brand. And while the present is already bright, the future also looks promising as PUMA has revived their Basketball category after a 20 year hiatus. The announcement came earlier this Summer as they not only signed the legend Clyde Frazier to a lifetime deal, but they also inked the #1 and #2 overall picks in the 2018 NBA Draft, Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III, respectively. That was then followed by the unveiling of their all-new basketball sneaker, the PUMA Clyde Court Disrupt inspired by you guessed it, the timeless PUMA Clyde. Oh yeah and let’s not forget about Mr. Sean Carter aka Jay-Z also joining the family as Creative Director. We have a feeling that’s gonna be HUGE for the brand because Jay-Z is THAT GUY!

But not only is PUMA partnering with big stars in music, entertainment, and sports, they are also producing exceptional sneakers. Some new creations that come to mind which have spearheaded their rise include their TSUGI line which consists of sleek runners constructed out of knitted (EvoKnit) uppers that are not only stylish, but also comfortable for everyday wear. Another technology that many people are excited about is NRGY beads. PUMA’s NRGY beads have already been used on the PUMA Jamming as well as on the Hybrid Runner and Rocket, and we expect to see it more in the near future.

Another silhouette (and the star of today’s show), which proves that PUMA is at the forefront of style, is the all-new PUMA Thunder. In their words, the Thunder “pays homage to past collaborations and silhouettes ahead of their time and is inspired by 90s running silhouettes and the PUMA x McQueen collaboration.” Fitting along nicely with the current “chunky dad shoe” trend, the PUMA Thunder comes with exaggerated tooling and blown-up proportions in order to make sure that it’s going to stand out. Think BOLD! Kicking off with the Spectra colorway that released back in April, the chunky silhouette has also released in Electric colorways for both men and women. Next up? The PUMA Thunder Desert. Having already released last week in Natural Vachetta and Smoke Green for women, the men’s pairs will drop this week with the arrival of all-white and all-black colorways.

Today we bring you an exclusive look at the PUMA Thunder Desert in the all-white colorway. The shoe takes a simple and minimalist approach as it comes constructed out of a combination of nubuck and leather on the upper. PUMA has given this colorway a premium touch by adding textured leather on the signature formstrip on the side panels as well as around the lower eyestays and the heel. The branding has also been kept minimal on the shoe as the signature PUMA cat silhouette is placed on the tongue and “PUMA” has been written on the heel.


So how can the shoe be styled? As you can see, we paired it up with some shorts (being that it has been hovering around 100 degrees at the moment in Southern California) and PUMA tube socks and we’d say they look pretty clean. And since Fall is right around the corner we also put them together with some jogger pants. The PUMA Thunder Desert has such a versatile look that you can pretty much rock it with anything and dress it up or dress it down, it’s really up to you. It’s one of those shoes that you can rock with ease no matter the season.

The PUMA Thunder Desert (and Thunder line overall) is one of many essential parts of PUMA’s master plan that has lots of us waiting in excitement and anticipation to see what their next move will be. PUMA is showing that they are not afraid to take risks and make big, bold moves, and so far it has been paying off.
You can purchase the PUMA Thunder Desert on puma.com in all-white (pictured here) and all-black on Thursday, August 9th for a price tag of $120.
The post KoF Exclusive: The PUMA Thunder Desert Leads The Charge This Summer appeared first on KicksOnFire.com.