The History of the PUMA Avanti
You cannot understand the present without knowing the past, and this rings extremely true for the evolutionised Puma King silhouette- the Puma Avanti. First arriving in 2001 and making its silver and black return this year with the Puma x Fenty Avanti, this Rihanna collab came with a deep history, rooted in meticulous design and football heritage, unbeknownst to most.
“Digging into Puma’s archives is always incredible,” Rihanna said in an interview with Vogue when asked about her decision to focus on an old-school silhouette. “There is so much history and legacy here, and I wanted to honour that by paying tribute to the Avanti. [The King is] the shoe Pelé played in and made very famous, and I know people are looking forward to their return.”
It's undeniable that the history of the shoe is what makes this already iconic collab even more significant in the world of streetwear and football culture, and so we bring you the history of the Avanti:
1968
The original Puma King sneaker was released and found its fame on the feet of legends such as Pelé, Eusebio, and Maradona this year.
1970
Wearing Puma King boots, Pelé is crowned the “Player of the Tournament” in the 1970 World Cup. It is the third World Cup title Brazil wins. After finishing his career in 1977, Pelé is officially honoured “Football Player of the Century”.
1978
Puma introduced the Puma Easy Rider as a fresh addition to their running shoe lineup. Twenty year later, this silhouette would be a part of the design for the infamous Jil Sander King’s.
1986
Diego Maradona goes down in history with his second goal against England in the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Starting from his own half, he passes six players including the goalkeeper, touches the ball eleven times with his Puma Kings and scores the "Goal of the Century".
1990
Puma King footballer Lothar Matthäus, who was born and raised in Puma's home city Herzogenaurach, captains West-Germany to its third World Cup title in Italy.
1998
This year is renowned for the brand opening up their sport lifestyle segment. Puma’s first-ever fashion collab with Jil Sander unveils the Jil Sander King, almost foreshadowing the 2023 Puma x Fenty Avanti drop, both in design and with a woman designer re-working a notoriously “male” sneaker. The sneaker seamlessly merged together elements from both Jil’s luxury fashion roots and Puma’s sporting heritage, and combined the iconic King and Easy Rider running shoe to create a lifestyle silhouette.
2001
Following on as the even further evolution of the Jil Sander King, Puma introduces the Avanti. This silhouette features the leather upper design of the King football boot with the gum sole of the Easy Rider, and of course, the exaggerated tongue.
2020
After a nineteen year hiatus where both the Puma King and Puma Avanti stayed in the archive, Puma signs Neymar Jr who brings back the legacy of the King.
Puma and Fenty had already been bringing back underrated silhouettes like the 2016 Creeper and the 2017 Satin Trinomic.
2023
Rihanna’s love of football coupled with the sports’ influence, especially off the pitch these days, served as the starting point for the return of the Avanti. Rihanna’s take kicks off a new perspective of sports fashion collabs.
Both drop one and now navy and green release of the Puma x Fenty Avanti puts the fun and edgy spirit known in Rihanna’s designs on the buttery soft leather upper, a fold-over tongue reminiscent of the Jil Sander’s and featuring a debossed Fenty and Puma Cat logo.
It is undeniable that this sneaker needs to be a part of anyone’s collection, especially if you’re a fashion or football fan, or if you just appreciate a piece of history. No matter the colourway you choose, the Puma x Fenty Avanti, it is undeniable that this sneaker will sit on the list of one of Puma’s heritage silhouettes, just like its predecessors.