Puma introduced the Suede sneaker in 1968.
The model used a soft suede upper and a low-profile shape that made it suitable for both sport and everyday wear. Although it was initially connected with athletic footwear, the Suede later became deeply associated with music, dance, street style, and sneaker collecting.
The shoe gained particular cultural visibility in the United States through basketball and hip-hop communities. In 1968, Olympic medalist Tommie Smith wore a pair during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Games, a moment often cited in accounts of the sneaker’s cultural history.
Puma’s Suede is sometimes confused with Adidas models because both companies developed major low-profile shoes in the same era. The Suede’s defining historical point is its Puma origin and its 1968 debut.