Puma Suede Charles F. Stead Leather Pack

A brief history of the Puma Suede

The Puma Suede dates back to 1968 when it was known as the “Crack”—an old-timey term for someone being an expert at skillful tasks, say, dribbling a basketball. This is where Walt “Clyde” Frazier enters the picture, adopting the Crack as his signature model and dazzling 20,000 pairs of eyeballs at Madison Square Garden every week.

After Clyde’s retirement in the early 1980s, the eponymous sneaker found new ground on the streets of New York City and beyond as a breakdance essential. Fat laces, coloured-in formstrips and new styling  were born out of the rechristened Suede (aka States over in the UK, but that’s a story for another time…) in reference to its namesake material.

Nearly 60 years later, the Suede has remained a staple of Puma’s heritage and become a touchpoint for a diverse variety of cultures. From its basketball and hip hop roots to sneaker collector status and beyond, the Suede is here to stay.

Charles F. Stead: leaders in suede

Charles F. Stead is an English company named after its founder and known globally as a leading supplier of fine suedes. Its origins can be traced to the mid 1890s where Charles cut his teeth as an apprentice before venturing out to make a name for himself. And that he did, with his son Phillip later  taking the reins to continue transforming the company from another leather tannery into leaders in suede manufacturing. They pioneered coloured suedes, sustainability practices and championed real leather’s quality.

The company rode the highs of suede’s popularity, endured tough times, and came through the other side to remain one of England’s oldest leather tanneries. Today, they supply local and international brands with their fine leather and suede for footwear, accessories and just about anything else that can be made from it.

The Puma Suede Charles F. Stead

Puma goes back to basics with this new Suede pack featuring the Charles F. Stead touch. Presented in classic two-tone colours, the solid upper is richly saturated in “Orange Glo” and “Honey Butter” options—OG black is available too, of course. A contrast formstrip in neutral is the essential accent, complemented by the vintage-tinged rubber cupsole, which also matches the included fat laces perfectly. In our opinion, this is the set to put in. Goldfoil branding and heritage woven tags complete the old-school look, and a custom CFS fob shouts out the premium suppliers. It’s the Suede made more supple than ever.

The Puma Suede Charles F. Stead Pack will be available at UP THERE from February 28th 9:00am AEDT. 

Minh Vuong writes about shoes, clothes and bikes (usually in that order).