Puma Gets in on Ugly Shoe Trend With Speedcat Ballerina and Mostro Fey
Puma is adding two new low-profile shoes to its offerings, with twists on classic silhouettes.
In January, the company debuted its Speedcat Ballerina at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Seen at the OperaSPORT presentation, the shoe include 2024’s red-hot Speedcat silhouette merged with another trending 2024 style: the ballet flat.
In fact, in the third quarter of 2024 the Lyst Index named Alaïa’s Fishnet Ballet Flat as the most popular shoe for the period with the Puma Speedcat named the second hottest. The Speedcat was introduced in 1998 as a fire-retardent sneaker for Formula 1 drivers. A year later, it was made available to the general public without those added attributes and the company has been iterating on it since.
The latest morph of the now staple silhouette is its conversion into a ballet flat complete with its open vamp and straps over the top of the foot. The upper still features suede but also includes a cutout below the Puma Formstrip. The style sold out upon release.
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To add to it, the company has also unveiled its Mostro Fey. The shoe is also a low-profile style. though its slightly more akin to a Mary Jane than a ballet flat. The Mostro, with its spiked-soled silhouette, was first introduced in 1999. It contained a velcro strap and developed a cult following throughout the 2000s. The style was designed by Peter Schmidt.
In 2023, the company began to mount the return of the Mostro for its then-upcoming 25 year anniversary — that January 2024 relaunch later sold out. Now the company is keeping its foot on the pedal with the shoes, offering the Mostro Fey in two color ways.
Both shoes come within a larger trend of “ugly shoes.” They also combine ongoing trends of ballet flats and retro-inspired sneakers.
