Ten things about PUMA
A pair of shoes is more than just a pair of shoes over at PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport – PUMA to most – it's German don't you know. Itchy has uncovered this and some other delectable and, err, slightly less obvious facts about the big cat that you may not have heard.
Just over ten years after the company was founded in 1936, the Olympic Games were held in Nazi Berlin. Much to Adolf Hitler's dismay, his ambitions for a medals board dominated by white, supposedly ethnically superior athletes, were shattered by a black American – Jesse Owens – who won four gold medals, stealing the show and inducing Adolf to goosestep his way out of the stadium. The cruellest irony for Hitler being that Owens wore the German-manufactured, Dassler Brothers' (later PUMA) shoes to complete his amazing feat.
Following the close of the second world war, after a family rift, the Dassler Brothers' shoe company split; one brother Rudolf formed what would become PUMA and the other, Adolf, would form now long-standing rival, Adidas, after his nickname, 'Adi' - quite remarkable.
Legendary footballer, Pelé, playing in PUMA boots, led the Brazilian national team to three world cup victories – two of them successive – in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Playing in the 1974 Word Cup, Netherlands star Johann Cruyff had a sponsorship deal with PUMA. He refused to play in the shirt provided Adidas – the national team's sponsor at the time – and in a stern act of defiance, had a two-stripe shirt made specially for him.
For all those knot-tying affected among us, you have PUMA to thank for bringing the wondrous advancement of Velcro to the art of shoe making – bravo.
Continuing their knack of backing sporting successes, PUMA supplies Boris Becker's shoes and tennis racket at his 1985 victory at Wimbledon – to this day the youngest and only unseeded player to win the event.
The following year in 1986, one of PUMA's champion boot-wearers, Diego Maradona, made the headlines across the world by scoring the decisive goal in Argentina's World Cup victory, via what his now known to be a handball. Referred to as the 'Hand of God,' this infamous incident was voted Goal of the Century in 2002.
The PUMA Disc-System is introduced in 1991, causing mothers of eager young fashionistas to despair at the subsequent hounding to own the coolest shoes in school. These groundbreaking, laceless, multi-coloured behemoths have recently been re-released to cater for today's retro-hungry culture.
In 1994, PUMA puts it's name to promoting football at grass-roots level, with the 'Street Soccer' initiative; aiding and encouraging participation in the sport in developing countries and in the cities.
Branching out into the media in ways which are a far-cry from their early beginnings, PUMA products have appeared in Hollywood movies, such as 'City of Angels' and have been endorsed by heavy-rock band, Korn.
PUMA have now turned there hand to boats and will be entering the Volvo Ocean Race – known as the 'Everest of sailing' – this October; beginning in Alicante, Spain and ending in June 2009 in the Baltic.
PD
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