Wentworth Tradd on Puma's Future Cat

In case you haven't noticed, athletic shoes (trainers, running
shoes, tennis shoes, sneakers, whatever you choose to call them) are
getting slimmer and lighter again. Puma's Future Cat is on the
cutting edge of that trend.

Puma is the more serious sibling of Adidas- you've heard about the
little German town that was torn in two when Adi Dassler and his
brother Rudi went their separate ways in 1948. While Adidas got
most of the press- especially in the 70's, especially in the US- and
became known almost as much as a fashion brand as a maker of athletic
shoes, Puma's strength remained real sports equipment, such as
track shoes.

And, while some will claim the inspiration for the Future Cat (and its
sibling line, Future Cat II) is in driving shoes, to my mind, they are
very reminiscent of track shoes from the pre-Nike era. They also bear a
strong resemblance to rock climbing shoes. Having said that, it is hard
to ignore the wrapped heel feature, clearly designed for driving (or
resting them on top of furniture, I suppose). Wherever their
inspiration, they are great looking, great feeling shoes. They
gee in assorted colors and both smooth leather and suede finishes,
with that great Puma track stripe on the outside face. If you are ready
to go with a little less thickness between you and the ground, these
may be the shoes for you. I got mine on okay (of course) at about
half off retail. I sincerely hope you can do the same.

HERE IS THE PRACTICAL PART: These shoes seem to run small and
just a tiny bit narrow. I ordinarily wear a size 8 in most dress shoes,
but even with thin socks, the Future cat 8.5 fits me snugly, if
gefortably. They are very lightweight at approximately 10 ounces each
(that would be 280 grams, I believe) and feature asymmetrical
lacing. After all, our feet are asymmetrical, too. At its thickest, the
visible sole is about 5/8 (five eighths) of an inch thick.

Despite all of that stuff about Serious Equipment, Puma is now
perfectly willing to call many of their offerings "lifestyle shoes",
which is what most of us do in our "athletic" shoes anyway- we style
our lives away. I hope that this little guide has helped
you add just a little more style to your life and that you will take a
moment to vote "yes"' for its helpfulness. Please do look at my other
guides and reviews, on a surprising array of topics.

Thanks
WT