The New PUMA Suede Speaks to Subcultures PUMA brings its most iconic sneaker back to the communities

There are sneakers that become iconic because they never change, and others that manage to survive precisely because, over time, different people keep making something different out of them. The PUMA Suede belongs mostly to the second category. Its silhouette has changed relatively little, while around it cities, generations, music scenes, dress codes and ways of understanding streetwear have all shifted. And it is from here that Never Not Suede takes off — the new campaign through which PUMA opens another chapter in the model's history. The project revolves around subcultures and communities, where a garment or a pair of shoes stops being merely a product and becomes part of a shared language.

Over the decades, the Suede has moved through scenes, styles and very different eras without ever fully belonging to any of them. The new campaign leans into this quality without building an overly rigid sense of nostalgia around the shoe. Instead, it follows a group of friends navigating a new city — through encounters, shared experiences and relationships that gradually forge a sense of belonging. A fairly simple story, yet one that places a precise idea at its core: culture does not necessarily come from the top down, but takes shape within groups, on streets and through the ways people choose to present themselves to the world. Three creatives from different backgrounds bring this idea to life visually. Styling is handled by Imruh Asha, Fashion Director at Dazed, photography by Maxime Ballesteros, and the film is directed by Natas.

For this reason too, the Suede's return rests on a fairly straightforward choice. No radical transformation of the silhouette, no attempt to disguise its origins. The PUMA Suede Classic returns in black, bold orange and coffee brown colorways, but the year also brings new interpretations. PUMA has announced collaborations with Daniëlle Cathari, Nahmias and other creatives, along with the arrival of different materials and designs in the coming months.