Discover how PUMA Middle East and artist DYSTINCT are celebrating the legacy of the Suede through music, fashion, and sport in their latest campaign.
Key Takeaways
- PUMA Middle East launched the ‘Never Not Suede’ campaign featuring artist DYSTINCT, highlighting his cultural identity.
- The campaign introduces three distinct colourways of the PUMA Suede: classic black, coffee brown, and bold orange.
- Visuals depict DYSTINCT’s identity through music, fashion, and sports, with each colourway representing a different theme.
- The PUMA Suede has a rich history, evolving from the ‘Crack’ in 1968 to becoming an iconic lifestyle shoe.
- Check the exact Suede product reference and current stock through PUMA’s regional shop or a retailer before ordering.
PUMA Middle East’s Never Not Suede campaign features Moroccan-Belgian artist DYSTINCT, using music, fashion and sport to connect his identity with the Suede. His label’s announcement confirms the partnership. The three colour worlds give the campaign its structure; that is different from a guarantee that each shade is a limited signature model or available at every UAE PUMA store.
Campaign Middle East’s account quotes PUMA’s marketing team describing the regional artist partnership. The useful part is the creative link: DYSTINCT’s language, heritage and interests supply the setting for a familiar shoe. Our view is that the Suede is well suited to that treatment because its simple shape lets colour and styling carry the story without needing an elaborate redesign.
The campaign treats the shoe as a platform for experimentation rather than a trend. Visuals centre on three colourways: classic black, coffee brown, and bold orange.
PUMA has also released social films featuring local DJs, skaters, graffiti artists, and fashion creators from across the region sharing how the Suede fits into their creative lives.
DYSTINCT represents music, fashion, and sport
DYSTINCT’s identity is split into three visual worlds. A retro music room featuring vinyl and stacked speakers uses the Black Suede. A fashion-focused setting inspired by Moroccan and GCC patterns uses the Coffee Brown Suede. A sports-centric space celebrating Moroccan football culture uses the Bold Orange Suede.
The music world is set in a room with speaker walls and stacked sound systems. This space is paired with the classic black Suede to reflect the sounds that shaped DYSTINCT as an artist.
The fashion world blends Moroccan heritage with contemporary style through GCC and Moroccan patterns and layered textures. PUMA paired this look with the coffee brown Suede.
The sports world is inspired by Moroccan football culture. The space contains jerseys, match posters, flags, and trophies. The bold orange Suede represents the drive to stand out.
The history of the PUMA Suede silhouette
The Suede is an icon. It began as the ‘Crack’ in 1968, was used by Olympic athlete Tommie Smith, evolved into the ‘Clyde’ via NBA star Walt Frazier in 1973, and was known as the ‘States’ in the UK during the 1980s.
The story starts with PUMA’s first lifestyle shoe, the Crack, which launched for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Track and field athlete Tommie Smith raised the shoe on the podium, turning sports gear into a symbol.
By 1973, NBA star Walt Frazier’s influence led to the Clyde. The shoe was eventually renamed the Suede due to the signature material used for the upper.
When the shoe arrived in the UK in the 1980s, it was called the ‘States’.
Where to find the new PUMA Suede collection in the UAE
For a UAE purchase, start with PUMA’s regional shop and the exact product code and colour. A campaign featuring a Suede does not establish live stock at every boutique. Ask the retailer about the particular version, size, final price and return terms before a visit or order. The Suede, Clyde and other related names also have their own product identities; a similar silhouette is not sufficient to identify the campaign shoe.
Our colour choice would start with what you already wear: black as the simplest anchor, brown for warmer tones or orange as the deliberate focal point. That is a styling preference, not a stock report or a measured comparison of durability. Compare the actual shoe’s fit and construction before paying a campaign premium, and do not assume a familiar colour name establishes a special-edition release.
Find your nearest PUMA retailer to shop the DYSTINCT-inspired colourways.
