Image via @1st
During the 90’s, PUMA was heavily engrained into euro rave culture which subsequently made some noise over in the states.
Aside from suedes -which were still popular- and the California, PUMA intro’d a new line of footwear in 1996 featuring “advanced cell technology“. Yes, some of the shoes in the lineup looked a tad Nike Air Max-Ish and the Cell Tech looked a lot like Reebok’s Hexalite
but not only did it do well, it went on to become a staple for the brand. There were shoes like the Venom Ultra , Cell Passion, and Cell Velocity to name a few. In fact, by the time 2001 rolled around there were three Cell technology’s which were as follows:
1.) e+Cell or Evolve + Cell: It was described as a very adaptive foam replacement component that permits the creation of a controlled environment tailored to the athletes sport. The versatile structural array of hexagonal TPU cells could cushion, stabilize, and guid the natural motion of the foot and thus providing increased protection of the life of the shoe.
2.) iCell or Inner Cell: Here the components function within the midsole of the shoes fabric with the structural array of hexagonal cells enhancing the cushioning and stabilizing value of the shoe.
3.) ld Cell or low density Cell: Low density cell is a structure of resilient low density hexagonal cells that have anatomically specific placement designed to protect and comfort the structure of the foot.
While the Cell tech came out youthful and ready to party over the years shoes featuring the Cell technology haven’t been the most aesthetically pleasing or all that exciting. For 2018 PUMA is hoping to change all that. This past weekend at HypeFest Puma kicked off a campaign to re-tell the story from that time period by way of the first models of the Cell line with a modern update.
Image Via @RyanMiller
Guests were encouraged to create their own shoe
Image via @1st
with satirical “unboxer/sneaker reviewer” Brad Hall making an appearance
A step in the right direction PUMA put on display the Endura and Venom with two HypeFest exclusive color way’s available for purchase only at the event.
While these two color way’s will most likely only be available through secondary sites like StockX or eBay the shoes are available in alternate color way’s now via PUMA.COM.