PUMA Carrera
- MODEL: PUMA CARRERA
- MADE ON: --/80
- ART.NO: 1202
Another archive treasure from PUMA’s past, there’s little to no information available on these crusty old Carrera’s anywhere.
Once again we’re faced with a pair that not only has no easily retrieved details, but also presents us with an equally elusive name. Carrera. Assuming they were made in 1980 as the tongue text proclaims, it’s possible their name references a variety of things.
For starters, considering that PUMA is a German brand, it wouldn’t be a stretch to connect this pair to a German-Austrian slot car brand by the same name that was big in the ’60s and ’70s before the owner sold it in 1985. Porsche (another German entity) is also known for their Carrera automobiles, made famous by their success in the Carrera Panamericana race. Outside of Eastern Europe there’s also an Italian bicycle-racing team from the ’80s and ’90s by that name as well. And beyond all that, the word ‘carrera’ literally means ‘race’ in Spanish.
Alright, but seriously, do these look anything like a racing shoe? Or even a shoe to move fast in, for that matter? Not to me they don’t. Their blocky, cheese-like sole units give everything except the impression of speed or agility, and I’d hardly classify them as runners or driving shoes. So what else is there?
Well, Carrera Island is an island belonging to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and could very well be the point of inspiration for the name, especially considering that many German trainers have been named after cities (and other notable destinations such as islands) all across the globe.
Speculation aside, the one thing we do know is how rare these are, having seldom seen a pair pop up on or offline anywhere.
written by Dylan Cromwell
photography by errol
