What if you throw a shoe into the 4th dimension? I think you would get a soup of the shoe’s iterations across its franchise history.
We dug up the history of 3 Puma franchises, whose archival roots reach as deep as the 1970s. We composed the color palette based on the special effect scene in this 1990 Trinomic commercial. We extrapolated functional materiality, forms and details from the archived franchise models and remixed them with their most recent iterations.
The 4th Dimension Pack presents not only a slice of sneaker history, but a textbook about Puma franchises. It is a collective homage to its archive.
Above 70% of materials are sustainably sourced, because 4th dimension scavenge not only history, but also substances from the past.
We dug up the history of 3 Puma franchises, whose archival roots reach as deep as the 1970s. We composed the color palette based on the special effect scene in this 1990 Trinomic commercial. We extrapolated functional materiality, forms and details from the archived franchise models and remixed them with their most recent iterations.
The 4th Dimension Pack presents not only a slice of sneaker history, but a textbook about Puma franchises. It is a collective homage to its archive.
Above 70% of materials are sustainably sourced, because 4th dimension scavenge not only history, but also substances from the past.
As a new silhouette from Puma’s Trinomic family, the 4th dimension TRC Blaze echos the past by adopting color scheme from the 1990 Trinomic commercial.
The Upper is haunted by key features of its past TRC predecessors in forms of stitching details—deco stitches, zigzag stitches, broidery and quilting patterns. Recycled mesh with hexagonal pattern also speaks to Puma Cell—the air-sealed cushioning module sandwiched in Trinomic midsole composition. Footbed features a rendering of Cell’s biomimetic form and the puma, both filmed for the 1990 commercial.
Visible design cues from these franchise predecessors:
-R698(1990)
-XT1 (1990)
-Blaze of Glory (2006)
-XT2 Plus (1991)
The Upper is haunted by key features of its past TRC predecessors in forms of stitching details—deco stitches, zigzag stitches, broidery and quilting patterns. Recycled mesh with hexagonal pattern also speaks to Puma Cell—the air-sealed cushioning module sandwiched in Trinomic midsole composition. Footbed features a rendering of Cell’s biomimetic form and the puma, both filmed for the 1990 commercial.
Visible design cues from these franchise predecessors:
-R698(1990)
-XT1 (1990)
-Blaze of Glory (2006)
-XT2 Plus (1991)
In the 1970s, the Rider franchise was first to adapt Puma’s patented “Federbein” (translated as “strut”) technology— an outsole pattern with dual-height extruded rubber cylinders to improve cushioning and durability.
Reinterpreting the signature rider blue+yellow palette, 4th Dimension infused running spacer mesh upper with irregularly-textured vegan leather overlays. The shoe reconnects to the past with details like dual-sided woven labels and loose thread finish from Easy Rider Distress(2009).
Most of all, it monumentalized the “Federbein” rubber cylinder as a molded detail at the heel. Its patent application was also used to compose the footbed graphic.
Visible design cues from these franchise predecessors:
-Easy Rider (1977)
-Fast Rider (1980)
-Easy Rider II (1982)
-Future Rider (2019)
Reinterpreting the signature rider blue+yellow palette, 4th Dimension infused running spacer mesh upper with irregularly-textured vegan leather overlays. The shoe reconnects to the past with details like dual-sided woven labels and loose thread finish from Easy Rider Distress(2009).
Most of all, it monumentalized the “Federbein” rubber cylinder as a molded detail at the heel. Its patent application was also used to compose the footbed graphic.
Visible design cues from these franchise predecessors:
-Easy Rider (1977)
-Fast Rider (1980)
-Easy Rider II (1982)
-Future Rider (2019)
CA Pro is an extension of Puma’s California lifestyle series, which inherits strong tennis court influences from Puma’s tennis shoe line designed for Argentine tennis Guillermo Vilas in the 1970s.
Classic tennis shoes material formula including mesh quarter + leather vamp was re-applied to the upper. Details from other archive puma tennis shoes were also borrowed such as the floating quarter branding flaps and Formstrip perforation.
Footbed features photo of G Vilas’ play in action, on clay court where he dominated.
Visible design cues from these franchise predecessors:
-Puma Court (1978)
-Vilas Pro (1980)
-California (1981)
-G Vilas (1983)
Classic tennis shoes material formula including mesh quarter + leather vamp was re-applied to the upper. Details from other archive puma tennis shoes were also borrowed such as the floating quarter branding flaps and Formstrip perforation.
Footbed features photo of G Vilas’ play in action, on clay court where he dominated.
Visible design cues from these franchise predecessors:
-Puma Court (1978)
-Vilas Pro (1980)
-California (1981)
-G Vilas (1983)
4th Dimension - Packaging
Assembling a relic that would survive through 4th dimensional travel, the shoebox takes the form of a aircraft black box.
Assembling a relic that would survive through 4th dimensional travel, the shoebox takes the form of a aircraft black box.
As all other shoes that pass through the dimension of time, the shoebox showcases a quilt of multiple black boxes with contrasted orange tones, graphic and typography.
Infographics about archival references and material composition for each pair of shoes are printed on the tissue paper covers.
