Puma (brand)

 ( 1980s Fashion ) 

At the 1960 Summer Olympics, Puma paid German sprinter Armin Hary to wear Pumas in the 100-metre sprint final. Hary had previously worn Adidas products and approached Adolf for compensation. However, Adidas declined the request. Despite winning a gold medal in Pumas, Hary chose to wear Adidas during the medals ceremony, surprising the two Dassler brothers. Hary seemingly aimed to benefit financially from both brands, but Adolf was infuriated to the extent of banning the Olympic champion.

During the 1968 Olympics Black Power Salute, Puma-sponsored African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, after having won gold and bronze in the 200 meters, respectively, took to the podium with their Puma Suede shoes in hand and bowed their heads and raised their black-gloved fists in silent protest during the playing of the national anthem, an act meant to stand up for human rights and to stand up for black Americans.

A few months prior to the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Armin Dassler (Rudolf's son) of Puma and his cousin Horst Dassler (Adi's son) of Adidas sealed an agreement which was dubbed "The Pelé Pact". This agreement dictated that Pelé would be out of bounds for both Adidas and Puma, feeling that a bidding war for the most famous athlete in the world would become too expensive, only for Puma to break the pact and sign him.

In addition to paying Pelé a percentage of Puma King boot sales, Puma paid him $120,000 ($2.85 million in 2022) to tie his laces prior to Brazil's quarter-final game against Peru to advertise their boots. An idea conceived by Puma's representative Hans Henningsen, Pelé stopped the referee from starting the game with a last-second request to tie his shoelaces, and with the camera panning in on Pelé, the Puma King boots were broadcast to a global audience, generating enormous publicity for the brand.

The most notable event in the Dassler brothers feud, the breaking of the "Pelé Pact" outraged Horst, and future peace agreements were called off. The Puma deal for Pelé was praised as a shrewd marketing move, and many business experts credit the rivalry and competition between the two companies for transforming sports apparel into a highly lucrative industry.

During the 1972 Summer Olympics, Puma provided shoes for the Ugandan 400 metres hurdles champion, John Akii-Bua. After Akii-Bua was forced out of Uganda by its military government, Puma employed him in Germany. Eventually, Akii-Bua returned to Uganda.

Puma launched the Puma Clyde in 1973, a basketball shoe based on the Suede. Designed for basketball player Walt Frazier, it gained wide popularity and became significant in the old school hip hop and skate punk subcultures.

In February 2007, Puma reported that its profits had fallen by 26% to €32.8 million ($43 million; £22 million) during the final three months of 2006. Most of the decline in profits was due to higher costs linked to its expansion; sales rose by more than a third to €480.6 million. In early April, Puma's shares rose €29.25 per share, or about 10.2%, to €315.24 per share. On 10 April, the French conglomerate PPR (which became Kering in 2013) announced that it had bought a 27% stake in Puma, clearing the way for a full takeover. The deal valued Puma at €5.3 billion. PPR said that it would launch a friendly takeover of Puma, worth €330 a share, once the acquisition of the smaller stake was completed. The board of Puma welcomed the move, saying it was fair and in the firm's best interests. As of July 2007, PPR owned over 60% of Puma stock.

In 2008, Melody Harris-Jensbach was appointed deputy chief executive officer; designer and artist Hussein Chalayan became creative director, and Puma acquired a majority stake in Chalayan's fashion business.

In April 2025, Puma announced that CEO Arne Freundt would step down due to differing views on strategy with the supervisory board. He is to be succeeded by Arthur Hoeld, a former Adidas executive, effective 1 July 2025.

Puma ranks as one of the top shoe brands with Adidas and Nike, and employs more than 18,000 people worldwide. The company has corporate offices around the world, including four defined as "central hubs": Assembly Row, Somerville, Massachusetts; Hong Kong; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Puma utilizes social media marketing activities (SMMA) to leverage customer purchases in Indonesia and boost brand awareness, brand image, and brand equity. Purchase intention was significantly influenced by brand awareness caused by SMMA. When consumers are more aware of Puma and have a positive image of the brand, they are more likely to purchase its products. Puma's social media marketing strategies have a direct effect on purchase intentions, which is a leading indicator of actual sales, especially in the middle class.

Through supply chain finance, Puma helps suppliers avoid cash flow issues by offering early payment on invoices, reducing costs and risk. The company uses the Infor Nexus digital platform to streamline the process, connecting buyers, suppliers, and banks. This platform enables fast, electronic payment and provides transparency, reducing manual work for suppliers and offering quicker access to financing, with payments made within five days of delivery.

Puma holds a 5% stake in German football club Borussia Dortmund, and has been its supplier since 2012. In 2014, Puma and Arsenal Football Club entered a 5-year merchandising partnership, the biggest deal in Puma and Arsenal's history. The partnership ended in 2019. Other football clubs include Barrow A.F.C., Derby County, Southampton F.C., Manchester City F.C., Galatasaray S.K., Olympique de Marseille, Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Club Cerro Porteño, RB Leipzig, Bodø/Glimt, PSV Eindhoven, FC Red Bull Salzburg, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Girona FC, Valencia CF, AC Milan, Palermo FC, Peñarol, Parma Calcio 1913, Club Bolívar, Club Atlético Independiente, Club de Fútbol Monterrey, Chivas de Guadalajara, Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City FC, Universidad Católica, Universitatea Craiova, Kawasaki Frontale, Yokohama FC, Shimizu S-Pulse, Kyoto Sanga FC and many others. National football teams include Ghana, Ivory Coast, Iceland, New Zealand, Senegal, Paraguay, Switzerland, Austria, Morocco, Egypt, Bahrain, Philippines, Portugal, Malaysia and Brunei. Puma footballs are the official ball of top-level leagues in Serie A, La Liga, Scotland, as well as the English Football League. Beginning in the 2025–26 season, Puma will provide the match ball for England's Premier League in a deal which will also see PGMOL referees in England's top four divisions wear Puma kits.

Since 2018, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has called for a boycott of Puma over its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association and demanded that the company "end complicity with the Israeli colonial and apartheid regime." The BDS campaign also stated that Puma contracted with an Israeli distributor operating in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Puma ended its sponsorship of the Israel national football team in 2024.

In athletics (track and field), as of February 2025, Puma sponsors the Bahamas Olympic Committee, Jamaica Olympic Committee, Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, Bahamas Athletics Association, Cuba Athletics Federation, Jamaica Athletics Association, Portugal Athletics Federation, and Switzerland Athletics Federation. They sponsor athletes Karsten Warholm, Shericka Jackson, Armand Duplantis, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Felix Streng, Julien Alfred, Marcell Jacobs, Konstanze Klosterhalfen, Andre De Grasse, and Elaine Thompson-Herah. Several world records were achieved by athletes wearing Puma shoes, such as Heinz Fütterer (1954), Armin Hary (1960), Jim Hines (1968), Tommie Smith (1968), Asafa Powell (2015), and Usain Bolt (2002).

In 2018, Puma announced its entrance back into basketball after a break of almost 20 years, and appointed Jay-Z as the division's creative director. Marvin Bagley III, Deandre Ayton, Zhaire Smith, and Michael Porter Jr. are the first players to join Puma's basketball roster and play in performance Puma basketball shoes. In December 2021, the brand launched High Court, its first women's basketball line, designed by creative director June Ambrose.

Puma made its partnership with netball after 28 years by sponsoring the Melbourne Vixens in 2018, and became the official apparel sponsor of New Zealand's national netball team, the Silver Ferns. Golfers such as Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson are equipped by Puma's golf brand Cobra Golf. Puma has also sponsored cricketers such as Virat Kohli, Ryan Burl, Heino Kuhn and Rashid Khan.

Puma is the main producer of enthusiast driving shoes and race suits and entered a partnership with BMW, Ducati and Ferrari to make their respective shoes. In Formula 1, Puma equips the teams of Scuderia Ferrari, Aston Martin Aramco, Stake Kick Sauber, and Williams. They also equipped Red Bull Racing until 2022. In 2024 Puma became the official Formula 1 trackside vendor and personnel supplier, and also became an official partner of F1 Academy. The company sponsors BMW, Mercedes AMG and Porsche in all of their Motorsports activities. In NASCAR, Puma equips Team Penske with fire suits, gloves, and shoes. They also sponsor NY Racing Team.

fashion show]]Rihanna was named creative director of Puma's womenswear line in December 2014. Two years later, Puma partnered with The Weeknd as a creative collaborator. In 2018, Puma launched its venture with its ambassador Selena Gomez called "Phenom Lux" In 2019, Big Sean became Puma's brand ambassador. Puma has also partnered with LaMelo Ball, NBA athlete, in 2020 to create a line including sports, culture, music and fashion.

In 2024, Puma appointed Milind Soman as its running ambassador. The same year, Sekou became the brand's ambassador. Later in June, Rosé becomes Puma's brand ambassador.

In August 2004, a joint report from the National Labor Committee and China Labor Watch stated that workers at some of Puma's Chinese factories were enduring sweatshop conditions, working up to 16.5 hours per day for about US$0.31 an hour. Puma said it would investigate the claims.

In February 2012, a woman who worked for one of Puma's suppliers in Cambodia was shot during a protest over factory working conditions. Puma acknowledged the poor working conditions and said it would work to improve the situation.

According to a joint report from Labour Behind the Label and Community Legal Education Centre, 30 workers fainted in November 2012 while producing clothing for Puma in China. The faintings were caused by excessive heat and alleged forced overtime. In 2014, almost 120 workers fainted in two Cambodian clothing factories where sportswear was being produced for Puma and Adidas, due to temperatures above . In March 2017, 150 workers assembling Puma products in Cambodia fainted due to thick smoke.

Puma has obtained the Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation for its Australian-made products.Ethical Clothing Australia, Accredited sports brands. Retrieved 20 January 2011. This labour-friendly accreditation applies to only a small percentage of Puma's total production.

In 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute accused at least 82 major brands, including Puma, of being connected to forced Uyghurs labor in Xinjiang. In 2022, researchers from Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences identified cotton from Xinjiang in Puma shirts.

Research funded by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats of the European Parliament and the Freedom Fund, conducted by Uyghur Rights Monitor, Sheffield Hallam University, and the Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights, showed in December 2023 that Puma is supplied by Gain Lucky, an international intermediary of Anhui Huamao, a textile manufacturer that has a history of using forced labour by Uyghurs .

Puma is also known for boosting positive environmental practices in its supply chain through financial incentives. The supply chain finance scheme implemented links the sustainability performance of key suppliers to the costs at which they can access finance. Puma managed to limit the carbon emissions that emanate from its supply chain through employing more eco-friendly and less carbon intensive materials. The system won the company an "Innovation Award" in Supply Chain Finance in 2016.

Puma managed to reduce its own carbon emissions worldwide by 88% between 2017 and 2021. This was mainly facilitated through buying renewable energy or renewable energy certificates.

In 2023, Puma announced that it would stop using kangaroo leather in its products, including its redesigned KING football boot, which features uppers containing at least 20% recycled material.Dan Hajducky," Nike, Puma to stop using kangaroo leather in soccer boots, all products ," ESPN, 13 March 2023." 0% Leather, 110% KING - PUMA Phases out K-Leather With Innovative K-BETTER™ Technology ," BusinessWire.com, 2 March 2023. Also, in April 2023, Puma announced its new sustainable initiative, Voices of a Re:Generation, which aims to develop the brand's 'sustainable journey' through involving the 'recommendations' and 'perspectives' of the next generation. Voices of Re:Generation is made up of young activists in Europe and the U.S. ranging from 12 to 30 years old. They take action through protests, rallies, petitions, and partnerships with major companies, like Puma. The initiative features figures like Alice Aedy and Andrew Burgess, who aim to make sustainability more transparent and resonate with Gen Z. It also seeks to combat "greenwashing" through actionable steps and inclusivity. As teen spending power grows, Puma’s focus on environmental priorities aligns with this demographic's values, complementing other Gen Z-focused efforts like metaverse projects.

Puma's focus on the environment and partnerships with these sustainability initiatives has paid off. The company's values reflect the growing consumer demand for environmentally conscious brands. This has led to an increase in Puma's product demand, therefore boosting their finances.

In January 2024, the fashion Energy Report of Utility Bidder, a utility switching service, categorized Puma as the 'most sustainable brand' with a high sustainability rating, a high level of transparency, and a low amount of CO₂ produced when someone visits their website.

• Barbara Smit (2025). 9780061246586, Harper Perennial. ISBN 9780061246586