The fashion world is undeniably a confusing place to navigate. New trends emerge more often than can be kept up with, which is why the timelessness and dependability of classic pieces cannot be downplayed. This thinking is what PUMA have built their latest collection on, re-releasing favourites from their archive to celebrate the legacy of company founder Rudolf Dassler, who established PUMA in 1948.

The Rudolf Dassler collection features some of the iconic silhouettes from PUMA’s history in sport and street style culture, including the Fast Rider, Sky Lo and Mid, Capri, Mirage, Ralph Sampson Lo and Mid, Oslo City, and Roma ’68. The shoes, which were originally created as training, track and field, jogging and basketball shoes as well as stylish sneakers, include Dassler’s original branding, also seen in a gold metal trinket attached. But in a modern twist, the styles are in white premium leather with accented colour textile tongues in the staple colours of the brand.

When it comes to athleisure footwear, PUMA has a particularly influential history, with record-breaking athletes such as US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos and basketball legends Clyde Frazier and Ralph Sampson wearing PUMA in the 60s, 70s and 80s. PUMA’s popularity among such high-profile athletes is in no way surprising when you find out Dassler’s original vision for the brand. “Rudolf Dassler wanted the athletes wearing his products to have the abilities of a puma. This means that when they wear PUMA shoes, they would become as fast, smooth, and agile as a puma,” says Helmut Fischer, PUMA’s Archivist.

Real footwear classics have a certain charm that cannot be beaten and will be remembered for years to come. It is refreshing to see PUMA recognising this, along with their successful history, in today’s fashion landscape. The Rudolf Dassler collection is available now on PUMA.com.