Puma Opens Brand Archive Center in Shanghai

Puma has brought its brand archives to Shanghai. On August 14, the sportswear brand, founded in 1948, opened the limited-time “Puma Brand Archive Center” experience at the ROJO Art & Culture Center in Shanghai, showcasing its history, the evolution of iconic products and its legacy of innovation. Puma Greater China brand ambassadors Zhang Linghe and Shan Yichun also made appearances at the event.

The temporary space features a number of themed areas, including Pioneer Archive, Puma Plaza, Millennium Revival, Track Legends, Suede District, Puma Girl and Style Reconstructed. Together, they revisit the design stories behind members of Puma’s low-profile footwear family and signature models including the Speedcat, Suede and H-Street. Pioneer Archive, one of the event’s central sections, traces Puma’s evolution throughout its history and its continued innovation in fashion from multiple perspectives.

One highlight is a collection of nearly 100 rare archival Puma pieces brought together with overseas sneaker collectors @andro1dgirl, @skinitavintage and @boot.alicious. Puma also invited Menu Tsai, design director of selfFab., to reinterpret a range of classic low-profile footwear and T7 styles through a contemporary design lens, resulting in three Remake collections.

The archive center clearly places fashion and trends at the forefront. This has also been one of the key factors helping Puma maintain its relevance in recent years. The reissued Speedcat, for example, was highly sought-after when it first returned to the market, while the Speedcat Ballet has become a viral success.

Although Puma’s performance remained under pressure in the second quarter of this year, its financial results also showed that the Speedcat Ballet and Speedcat Wedge delivered strong sell-through in the sportstyle category. The brand is also laying the groundwork for the return of its iconic Suede model over the coming quarters.

Balancing performance and sportstyle has become an increasingly necessary strategy for major sportswear brands seeking growth in a more competitive market. Puma faces no shortage of rivals, with Adidas, Asics and Onitsuka Tiger all making notable strides in fashion.

This time, Puma is flexing the strength of its extensive archives. Whether it can turn that heritage into a meaningful competitive advantage in today’s market, however, remains to be seen.