Style Wins Out in the Adidas/Puma Creative Wars

Social media has been buzzing with the latest sign of Big Sean’s “bounceback”. The stylish “I Decided” rapper was named Puma’s New Global Ambassador and Creative Collaborator. He formerly partnered with Adidas who counts Rita Ora, Hannah Bronfman, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, Karlie Kloss and of course Kanye West as its major collaborators.

While Nike was once considered to be the undisputed king of all things athletic the expansion of athleisure attire has opened lanes for other brands to stake their claims.

Adidas has found new and exciting ways to capitalize on its rich visual history like floral tracksuits and rose gold shelltoes.

Puma on the other hand has placed their faith in fabrics.

Their much celebrated partnership with Rihanna features velvet, fur, and satin picks that are more suited for sitting pretty in study hall than sweating it out in gym class.

And as these two brands are constantly outdoing one another consumers are benefiting from this explosion of creativity.

Even releases that are not apart of the celebrity capsule collections, like the much anticipated Adidas EQT, which is premiering ath Lower East Side Sneaker Emporium Extra Butter this evening, have been marked by an uptick in innovation.

Both brands are consistently creating free content and experiences for consumers to enjoy as they try to assert their place at the forefront of sports inspired fashion including short films, pop-up shops, and giveaways. With Big Sean’s commitment, and the theatrical release of Rihanna’s school-girl inspired third collection Puma doesn’t seem to be slowing down and with Kanye’s much criticized dystopian aesthetic finally permeating pop culture Jon Wexler’s strategy might be taking a firm hold.

As long as a trip to Footlocker at Short Hills Mall feels like a stroll through Opening Ceremony long live the competition.

#sneakers #puma #adidas #bigsean #rihanna #endorsements #satin