<h1 class="centre">PUMA’s launch party for the Speedcat was hosted in an ultra-modern warehouse with slanted red lights cutting the dark. The fashion, music, and cocktails were fresh and forward - and so were the sneakers, despite their decades-long history. When PUMA’s Speedcat first ripped asphalt in 1984, it was more than just a sneaker - it was an occupational necessity. Designed for motorsport, the fireproof shoe was crafted for Formula 1 drivers, giving them precision, control, and the ability to withstand all kinds of heat. 40 years later, the shoe returns for its third major revival, with Tania Shroff as its new face in India.</h1>
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<h1 class="left">Tania, one of fashion’s brightest players, says the Speedcat embodies her own philosophy of finding balance between agility and timelessness. “My personal style is versatile, and I would say the Speedcat OG shoe is too,” she says. “I try to take basic pieces and style them in unique ways to really build a look, whether that’s with patterns, colors, or silhouettes. I feel like the Speedcat adds a sporty edge to any look I pair with it.”</h1>
<h1 class="left">That sport-chic charm is exactly what makes the Speedcat stand out in the saturated sneaker world. With its skinny silhouette, the shoe embraces a low-profile elegance over the overwrought ‘dad sneaker.’ “Chunky is out, sleek is in,” Tania laughs, styled in an outfit of clean lines and primary colours. On her, the Speedcat is both a smile and a provocation.</h1>
<h1 class="right">Contemporary culture yearns to return to a film-photo past, but it cannot look away from the next big thing. The Speedcat understands this. It is laced with its own legacy of nostalgia, and yet it still looks cheekily modern. As trends get bigger and more uncontrollable, making a statement by being as loud as possible will never work. Instead, celebrities like EmRata and Dua Lipa play with the immediate appeal of the Speedcat’s F1 aesthetic and all its connotations of fire, speed, and the 90s. Over its 40-year history, the shoe has moved from function to fashion, from the track to the streets, and now, into a society constantly resituating itself in history. For Tania, the Speedcat is a vessel of this journey: “I remember watching Formula 1 as a kid with my dad and brother, and I remember Michael Schumacher wearing the Speedcats!” she says.</h1>
<h1 class="right">As we oscillate between ‘we’re so back,’ and ‘it’s so over’ in our personal lives and cycles of obsession, culture is being made somewhere in the middle. “A perfect example is someone at the PUMA event who paired a timeless saree with the Speedcat,” Tania notes. “Blending culture with trends is what fashion has always been known for.”</h1>
<h1 class="centre">In Tania’s eyes, this balance is what makes the Speedcat the "It Shoe" of the season. “There’s something about the ease of styling the Speedcats. They’re minimal and classic, with the statement stripe. They’re really comfortable too! What makes it an ‘It Shoe’ is that it not only stands out in style and design, but it’s also a statement piece. This balance is often hard to come by in sneakers.”</h1>
<h1 class="centre">As the Speedcat rebirthed itself again, PUMA is selling more than another pair of shoes. They’re selling a story about speed and style, and the Speedcat is sticking the landing.</h1>
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<h1 class="left">Cover Image by Sneha Singhania</h1>
<h1 class="full">PUMA’s launch party for the Speedcat was hosted in an ultra-modern warehouse with slanted red lights cutting the dark. The fashion, music, and cocktails were fresh and forward - and so were the sneakers, despite their decades-long history. When PUMA’s Speedcat first ripped asphalt in 1984, it was more than just a sneaker - it was an occupational necessity. Designed for motorsport, the fireproof shoe was crafted for Formula 1 drivers, giving them precision, control, and the ability to withstand all kinds of heat. 40 years later, the shoe returns for its third major revival, with Tania Shroff as its new face in India.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Tania, one of fashion’s brightest players, says the Speedcat embodies her own philosophy of finding balance between agility and timelessness. “My personal style is versatile, and I would say the Speedcat OG shoe is too,” she says. “I try to take basic pieces and style them in unique ways to really build a look, whether that’s with patterns, colors, or silhouettes. I feel like the Speedcat adds a sporty edge to any look I pair with it.”</h1>
<h1 class="full">That sport-chic charm is exactly what makes the Speedcat stand out in the saturated sneaker world. With its skinny silhouette, the shoe embraces a low-profile elegance over the overwrought ‘dad sneaker.’ “Chunky is out, sleek is in,” Tania laughs, styled in an outfit of clean lines and primary colours. On her, the Speedcat is both a smile and a provocation.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Contemporary culture yearns to return to a film-photo past, but it cannot look away from the next big thing. The Speedcat understands this. It is laced with its own legacy of nostalgia, and yet it still looks cheekily modern. As trends get bigger and more uncontrollable, making a statement by being as loud as possible will never work. Instead, celebrities like EmRata and Dua Lipa play with the immediate appeal of the Speedcat’s F1 aesthetic and all its connotations of fire, speed, and the 90s. Over its 40-year history, the shoe has moved from function to fashion, from the track to the streets, and now, into a society constantly resituating itself in history. For Tania, the Speedcat is a vessel of this journey: “I remember watching Formula 1 as a kid with my dad and brother, and I remember Michael Schumacher wearing the Speedcats!” she says.</h1>
<h1 class="full">As we oscillate between ‘we’re so back,’ and ‘it’s so over’ in our personal lives and cycles of obsession, culture is being made somewhere in the middle. “A perfect example is someone at the PUMA event who paired a timeless saree with the Speedcat,” Tania notes. “Blending culture with trends is what fashion has always been known for.”</h1>
<h1 class="full">In Tania’s eyes, this balance is what makes the Speedcat the "It Shoe" of the season. “There’s something about the ease of styling the Speedcats. They’re minimal and classic, with the statement stripe. They’re really comfortable too! What makes it an ‘It Shoe’ is that it not only stands out in style and design, but it’s also a statement piece. This balance is often hard to come by in sneakers.”</h1>
<h1 class="full">As the Speedcat rebirthed itself again, PUMA is selling more than another pair of shoes. They’re selling a story about speed and style, and the Speedcat is sticking the landing.</h1>
<h1 class="left">Cover Image by Sneha Singhania</h1>