PUMA - A HISTORY One of the foremost names in sport and lifestyle footwear, Puma has grown from humble beginnings in an Bavarian shoe factory thanks to the foresight of it's founder, Rudolf Dassler. Tired of working for others and being so far away from home, Rudolf Dassler decided to set up his own shoe factory, along with his brother Adolf. The first big break for the pair came in 1936 when Rudolf, sensing the opportunity, drove to the Olympic games in Berlin to persuade the now legendary US sprinter Jesse Owens to wear spikes made by the brothers. Owens won four golds, and the world fell in love with the Dassler brothers.

Things changed dramatically in 1948. A row between the brothers caused a split in the company, leaving Rudolf and Adolf to go their seperate ways. Famously, Adolf went on to form adidas while Rudolf founded Puma Schuhfabrik.

Based on his success with Jesse Owens, Rudolf realised that sponsorship of sports stars was the way to build his new company's profile, so he quickly signed up the West German football team and was heavily involved in sponsorship of the 1952 Olympics. This helped Pumaexpand into the international market and helped cement its place in the top echelons of the sportswear world.

Rudolf died in 1974, leaving the company in the care of his sons. Sports sponsorship continued, with stars such as Pele endorsing the brand. Throughout the eighties, the focus was on technology, and Puma pioneered a number of sportswear firsts that kept the brand in the mainstream.

In the nineties and the past decade, Puma have successfully moved into the lifestyle arena through partnerships with famous designers such as Alexander McQueen. They haven't moved too far away from their roots though, and current sports stars that are adored with the famous Puma logo include Andrew Flintoff, Nicolas Anelka and Usain Bolt.

Reasons To Buy Your New Puma's at Soletrader

The foremost name in branded footwear, Soletrader offers a wide range of men's, women's and children's footwear for sale both online and in 50 high street locations.

Express Delivery - Choose from a great range of delivery options, including our next day delivery service, which means you could be wearing your new Puma trainers the very next working day.

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