PUMA Sky Hi + NM

• MODEL: PUMA SKY HI
• MADE IN: VIETNAM
• MADE ON: --/11
• ART.NO: 352618 01

High tops definitely fit into the ‘love and hate’ category of sneakers; some people eat ‘em up, while others completely despise ‘em. For those big tongue trainer heads out there, the PUMA Sky Hi + is about as high as it gets, equipped with tongue that extends 6 cm beyond the ankle collar when fully popped.

The grey violet synthetic uppers (chosen specifically to support PUMA’s EcoOrthoLite program) on these bright city kicks are broken only with patches of perforations to keep the foot breathing easy. Quite wearable, the Sky Hi + NM’s are thinner and trimmer than the traditional bulky and bloated basketball sneaker, giving them a bit of down played sex appeal (down played thanks to their modest colorway). Teetering on the borderline of being boring though, the shoe’s saving grace is the seaport rubber outsole, which brings back a bit of flair and gives this pair their real personality.

A final unique feature about the PUMA Sky Hi + silhouette is the ankle strap itself. Many basketball trainers do this entirely wrong, designing a strap for those who actually utilize it in the game. However many of these very such shoes are then released to the public and marketed for casual or fashionable wear, in which case the strap is merely aesthetic or a choice of personal taste and comfortable. This pair succeeds in creating a strapping system that non-strap-wearing PUMA cat lovers can appreciate, whether worn open or closed.

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol