PUMA Insider
- MODEL: PUMA INSIDER
- MADE IN: WEST GERMANY
- MADE ON: --/87
- ART.NO: 3121/S
The late 80s was PUMA’s golden years of West German made high tops that simply blow most of their modern releases out of the water. Their most well-known, the PUMA Cat Hi, was dropping in ’87, the same year as these ghost-like Insiders. The lack of conversation that happens around this silhouette is astonishing.
For one; what exactly are these for? With a feel like a basketball shoe yet a sole unit sturdy enough to tread across a mountain-range (in design theory at least) it’s no wonder if they weren’t lapped up by the masses back in ’87. A dark and quiet colorway hits the possibly leather upper (it’s hard to tell exactly if they’re synthetic or not, as it could go either way) and the minimal amount of branding embroidered and embossed across the shoe is fantastic.
Despite their sturdiness, the soles aren’t very flexible, which definitely makes them good on some terrain, but I can’t imagine dancing or playing sports in these. Still, quite comfortable, they do pass fine as a casual shoe, in a sort of Timberland boot style way. Bizarre though, that such an outdoorsy design would infer a name such as the Insider.
Finer features of the model include the metal riveted eyelets, large and smooth for super fast and easy lacing against the plush tongue that fits comfortably against the ankle, though doesn’t pop so easy for those that like a louder statement with their high tops. The final detail that we love about PUMA is their attention to detail, including laces which are just a wee bit wider than the average pair, giving a sort of fat feel to these bulky, boot like trainers.
written by Dylan Cromwell
photography by errol
