Puma

Corporate brand

Unclaimed Request correction

German multinational sportswear company offering athletic footwear, apparel, accessories, and sports equipment.

Last updated October 7, 2026

AI crawler reads

No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.

Overview

Puma is a German multinational sportswear company headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria. The business traces its corporate origin to 1948, when Rudolf Dassler established an independent shoe company after the split of the Dassler brothers’ footwear business. Rudolf’s brother Adolf later founded Adidas, making the two companies long-standing competitors whose shared origins remain central to the history of modern athletic footwear. Puma develops, markets, and sells footwear, clothing, accessories, and equipment across performance and sport-inspired lifestyle categories. Its principal sporting areas include football, running, training, basketball, golf, and motorsport. The brand also operates in everyday sneakers and casual apparel, using sporting heritage, collaborations, celebrity relationships, and team and athlete partnerships to reach consumers beyond organized sport. Puma’s distribution combines wholesale partners, branded stores, e-commerce, and market-specific digital channels. The company’s early identity was built around performance footwear and athlete visibility. Puma products became associated with international football and track and field, and the brand used high-profile athletes to connect technical products with cultural relevance. The company’s later history included a period of repositioning in which performance sport and fashion-led lifestyle products were brought under a more unified brand strategy. Collaborations with designers and fashion labels, including the influential 1998 Puma and Jil Sander partnership, helped demonstrate that athletic shoes could occupy both sports and fashion contexts. Puma was acquired into the orbit of French luxury and retail group PPR, later renamed Kering, during the 2000s. Kering subsequently reduced its holding substantially as it concentrated more heavily on luxury goods. Puma became a European company, or SE, in 2011. The company has remained a separately listed sportswear business rather than a subsidiary operating under a sports conglomerate. Brand communication has repeatedly emphasized speed, individuality, and sporting performance. In 2014, Puma introduced the global “Forever Faster” platform, presenting itself as a performance-led sports brand and featuring athletes such as Usain Bolt, footballers, golfers, and Scuderia Ferrari. In 2025, the company launched “GO WILD,” a global platform focused on the emotional and personal benefits of sport rather than victory alone. The campaign’s initial running film portrayed ordinary runners in varied daily settings and was planned for extension into football, basketball, and other sports. Puma also maintains strong market-specific activity. In Japan, its football marketing has included professional clubs, school football, futsal, player seeding, tournament sponsorship, and retail campaigns. The Japanese business has also developed digital commerce initiatives, including a shopping application with product visualization, launch-calendar, and augmented-reality try-on functions. Leadership has changed several times during the company’s recent repositioning. Bjørn Gulden led Puma during a period of renewed focus on performance sport and later became Adidas chief executive. Arne Freundt succeeded him at Puma in 2022, while Arthur Höld became chief executive in 2025 according to the supplied company and trade references. In January 2026, Anta Sports agreed to acquire approximately 29.06 percent of Puma from Artémis, the investment vehicle associated with the Pinault family. The proposed transaction was subject to approvals and was expected to make Anta Puma’s largest shareholder after completion; the available references state that Puma’s operational and brand independence would be maintained. Because the transaction was described as pending, it should not be treated as a completed change of control without later confirmation.

History

Puma’s roots lie in Herzogenaurach, where Rudolf Dassler and his younger brother Adolf operated the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory from 1924. The brothers divided responsibilities, with Rudolf associated primarily with sales and Adolf with production and technical development. Their shoes gained international attention through athletics, including the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where American sprinter Jesse Owens won four gold medals wearing Dassler footwear. Before the Second World War, the business had become a significant specialist shoe manufacturer. Personal, political, and business tensions eventually divided the brothers. After the war, Rudolf established an independent company on the opposite side of the Aurach River from Adolf’s operation. The new business was initially associated with the name Ruda, formed from Rudolf Dassler’s initials, but it was soon renamed Puma Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler. Adolf’s company developed into Adidas, creating the famous local and commercial rivalry between Puma and Adidas. Puma’s early growth was closely linked to football and track and field. The company cultivated relationships with prominent athletes and teams and used televised sporting moments to increase product visibility. The company’s history includes the well-known dispute surrounding Pelé before the 1970 FIFA World Cup. A prior understanding between Adidas and Puma representatives was intended to prevent an escalating bidding contest for Pelé’s endorsement, but Puma representative Hans Henningsen ultimately secured an arrangement with the player. Pelé’s deliberate boot-lacing moment before the World Cup final gave Puma unusually prominent television exposure. The episode became a landmark example of athlete marketing, although accounts differ on some details of the agreement and should be read as historical reporting rather than as a current corporate policy. The company continued to develop its football business during the 1970s and 1980s. Rudolf Dassler died in 1974. Puma changed its legal form over time, becoming a Kommanditgesellschaft in 1959, an Aktiengesellschaft in 1986, and a European company, Puma SE, in 2011. In 1986, the company was listed in Frankfurt and Munich. Its fortunes fluctuated, particularly in the United States, but the business later recovered. By the 1990s and early 2000s, management was again emphasizing growth, brand visibility, and product innovation. Puma’s relationship with fashion became especially visible in 1998 through its collaboration with designer Jil Sander. The partnership helped normalize cooperation between athletic-footwear companies and high-fashion designers and contributed to a broader industry movement toward premium and fashion-oriented sneaker collaborations. Puma consequently developed a dual identity: a technical sports supplier and a lifestyle brand capable of participating in streetwear and designer culture. In 2007, PPR, the French group later renamed Kering, announced a takeover of Puma and accumulated a controlling stake. Puma operated within the wider Kering portfolio for more than a decade, while retaining its own listed-company identity and sports specialization. Kering later reduced its ownership as it concentrated on luxury goods. Its stake fell substantially in 2018 and was reduced further in subsequent years, with Artémis, the Pinault family investment company, becoming an important shareholder. During the 2010s, Puma sought to sharpen its performance credentials. The company appointed Bjørn Gulden as chief executive in 2013 and introduced the Forever Faster platform in 2014. The strategy aimed to unite performance and lifestyle activity under a single brand direction while presenting Puma as a bold, fast, and athlete-centered challenger. Usain Bolt became one of the most visible representatives of this approach, alongside football, golf, motorsport, and other sporting partnerships. Puma expanded its category portfolio across football, running and training, basketball, golf, and motorsport, while continuing to sell casual sneakers and apparel. Its group activities also included Cobra Golf and stichd, a licensed-apparel and accessories business. In Japan, the brand developed football partnerships and school-sport programs, including support for professional clubs, youth teams, tournaments, and product seeding at high-profile matches. The company also used digital commerce and mobile retail tools to engage younger consumers. Arne Freundt became chief executive in 2022 after Gulden’s departure. Puma subsequently reorganized its global marketing structure in 2023 and partnered with adam&eveDDB on a new global brand strategy in 2024. The next major platform, GO WILD, launched in 2025 and placed greater emphasis on the subjective enjoyment and emotional benefits of sport. Its initial running campaign featured ordinary runners rather than relying only on elite athletes. In 2025, trade reporting described Puma as facing a difficult commercial environment, including weak demand and inventory pressures, while Arthur Höld, a former Adidas executive, took over as chief executive. In January 2026, Anta Sports announced an agreement to acquire roughly 29.06 percent of Puma from Artémis. The deal was reported as conditional on approvals and intended to close by the end of 2026. Anta stated that it did not initially plan a full takeover and would respect Puma’s independent brand and operations. Until completion and any subsequent governance changes are confirmed, Puma remains best described as an active, publicly listed German sportswear company with a proposed new largest shareholder.

2026
Anta agrees to become Puma’s largest shareholder
[8]Reuters report on Anta’s proposed Puma stake purchasejp.reuters.com
Anta Sports agreed to acquire approximately 29.06 percent of Puma from Artémis, subject to approvals and closing conditions.
2025
GO WILD campaign launches
[7]Puma Japan GO WILD campaign releaseprtimes.jp
Puma launched a global campaign centered on personal freedom, enjoyment, and the emotional high of participating in sport.
2023
Puma Japan expands mobile commerce
[9]Puma Japan shopping app and AR try-onsendenkaigi.com
Puma Japan launched an app with augmented-reality footwear try-on, product views, and release information.
2014
Forever Faster platform launches
[4]Puma Forever Faster launch coveragefashionmarketingjournal.com
Puma introduced a global brand platform designed to unite performance and lifestyle communication around speed and athletic ambition.
2011
Puma becomes a European company
[13]Puma becomes a European companyja.wikipedia.org
Puma adopted the European Company legal structure and became Puma SE.
2007
PPR acquires a controlling position
[12]Dassler brothers establish their footwear businessja.wikipedia.org
PPR, later Kering, acquired control of Puma and brought the sportswear company into its broader brand portfolio.
1998
Puma collaborates with Jil Sander
[12]Dassler brothers establish their footwear businessja.wikipedia.org
The collaboration connected Puma footwear with high fashion and helped advance the sportswear industry’s designer-collaboration model.
1986
Puma becomes a stock corporation and lists shares
[12]Dassler brothers establish their footwear businessja.wikipedia.org
Puma converted to an Aktiengesellschaft and listed on the Frankfurt and Munich stock exchanges.
1970
Pelé endorsement controversy increases Puma visibility
[12]Dassler brothers establish their footwear businessja.wikipedia.org
Puma secured Pelé’s endorsement despite an earlier understanding intended to prevent a Puma-Adidas bidding contest, and the resulting World Cup exposure became a landmark sports-marketing episode.
1959
Puma changes to a partnership company
[12]Dassler brothers establish their footwear businessja.wikipedia.org
The business adopted the Kommanditgesellschaft legal form as part of its corporate development.
1948
Rudolf Dassler establishes Puma
[12]Dassler brothers establish their footwear businessja.wikipedia.org
Rudolf Dassler founded the independent shoe company that became Puma after separating from his brother Adolf’s business.
1936
Dassler footwear gains Olympic visibility
[12]Dassler brothers establish their footwear businessja.wikipedia.org
Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics while wearing Dassler footwear, helping establish the company’s association with elite athletics.
1924
Dassler brothers establish their footwear business
[12]Dassler brothers establish their footwear businessja.wikipedia.org
Rudolf and Adolf Dassler operated the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory in Herzogenaurach, laying the foundation for the later Puma and Adidas businesses.

Products and positioning

A global sports-performance and sport-inspired lifestyle brand combining technical athletic products with streetwear, fashion collaborations, athlete endorsements, and team partnerships.

Lifestyle footwear
Suede
The Suede is one of Puma’s best-known classic sneakers. Its low-profile construction and suede upper connect the product to Puma’s archival footwear identity, while successive colorways, collaborations, and cultural associations have kept it relevant in casual and streetwear contexts. It is primarily a lifestyle product rather than a modern technical running shoe.
Lifestyle and basketball-inspired footwear
Clyde
The Clyde is a Puma sneaker associated with basketball and the player Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Over time it became a broader lifestyle silhouette, combining court heritage with fashion and streetwear use. Puma has used the model for color, material, and collaboration variations, making it part of the brand’s classic sneaker portfolio.
Lifestyle and performance-inspired footwear
RS product family
The RS family represents Puma’s running-inspired and technology-led sneaker design in lifestyle markets. The range has included retro-futurist and digitally influenced models, using cushioning and visual references to performance footwear while targeting everyday wear. Individual RS models and availability vary by market and season.
Football
Football boots and teamwear
Puma supplies football boots, goalkeeper and training products, match apparel, replica jerseys, and teamwear. The category is supported by professional athletes, national and club partnerships, and grassroots programs. Product marketing often emphasizes speed, agility, and lightweight construction, while teamwear extends the brand into fan merchandise and institutional sport.
Running and training
Running and training footwear
Puma’s running and training assortment includes footwear and apparel for road running, gym work, conditioning, and general fitness. The category is central to the company’s performance positioning and has been highlighted in the GO WILD campaign, which presented running as a source of personal enjoyment and emotional release rather than only competitive achievement.
Golf
Golf products
Puma offers golf footwear, apparel, accessories, and related products through its golf business and athlete partnerships. The range combines course performance requirements with Puma’s broader emphasis on modern styling. Puma’s wider group has also been associated with Cobra Golf, a separate golf brand within the group described in supplied reference material.

Marketing campaigns

2025GO WILD
Global · including Japan
GO WILD was introduced as Puma’s largest global brand campaign to that point. Its message encouraged athletes and ordinary participants to enjoy sport in their own way, with the initial film focusing on runners who train at different times, run with dogs, combine running with parenting, or participate with friends. The platform was planned to extend into basketball, football, and other sports.
Outcome. The campaign established a new emotional and participation-led brand narrative; the supplied release describes planned expansion but does not provide measured results.
Source
20255AM High Drops
Global
5AM High Drops was announced as a global running event connected with GO WILD. It invited runners to participate in early-morning running-club activity and associated the routine with performance, well-being, and mental-health benefits.
Outcome. The event extended GO WILD from advertising into community participation. The supplied reference does not report attendance or commercial outcomes.
Source
2023Manchester City Instagram signed-jersey promotion
Japan
Puma Japan ran an Instagram participation promotion connected with Manchester City’s 2023–24 shirt. Participants posted photographs wearing the shirt for a chance to receive a randomly selected signed player jersey.
Outcome. The promotion generated social-media participation and linked Puma’s Japanese e-commerce presence with a major club partnership; the supplied terms do not report participation or sales results.
Source
2020PUMA CLASSIC SERIES digital advertising
Japan
ABC-MART promoted Puma Classic Series footwear through a digital advertisement featuring Japanese actor Ryusei Yokohama. The creative presented the shoes as timeless, slightly new, and suitable for everyday city wear.
Outcome. The campaign supported retail distribution of the Classic Series and included a viewer benefit involving a special comment from the featured actor.
Source
2017Puma football club and youth-sport activation
Japan
Puma used professional club partnerships, product seeding, the national high-school football championship, PUMA CUP events, and Puma Excite Match activities to build visibility in Japanese football. The program emphasized support for participants beyond only nationally prominent teams and used high-attention matches to introduce new football-boot models.
Outcome. The supplied Japanese sports-marketing account reported strong visibility in a season when Puma-supported teams won major domestic titles, although no independent campaign-performance metrics were provided.
Source
2014Forever Faster
Global · including Japan
Puma launched Forever Faster as a global brand platform declaring an ambition to be the world’s fastest sports brand. The campaign used athletes including Usain Bolt, footballers Mario Balotelli and Sergio Agüero, footballer Marta, golfers Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson, and Scuderia Ferrari. In Japan, television, outdoor, print, and web advertising presented athletes and nonconformist “game changers” as expressions of speed, confidence, and risk-taking.
Outcome. The platform marked a shift from describing Puma primarily as a sports-lifestyle brand toward a more explicit leading-sports-brand position.
Source

Brand decisions

2026
Anta agrees to acquire a 29.06 percent Puma stakeM&A
Background
Artémis agreed to sell a substantial Puma holding while Anta pursued a multi-brand and internationalization strategy. Puma was also reported to be dealing with commercial and profitability pressure.
Action taken
Anta agreed to buy approximately 43 million Puma shares, representing about 29.06 percent of the issued shares, for roughly 1.5 billion euros, subject to approvals and completion conditions.
Aftermath
If completed, Anta would become Puma’s largest shareholder and seek board participation. The available reports state that Anta did not initially intend a full takeover and that Puma’s brand and operating independence would remain intact.
Proposed equity transaction value. Approximately EUR 1.5 billion (Announced January 2026; completion subject to approvals and expected by end-2026)
Source
2023
Puma reorganizes global marketingStrategy
Background
Management stated that the existing organization could be improved through faster decisions, stronger brand value protection, and a more customer-centered approach.
Action taken
Puma reorganized its global marketing structure to support more influential campaigns and a consistent brand direction.
Aftermath
The reorganization preceded the partnership with adam&eveDDB and the launch of the GO WILD platform.
Source
2013
Puma reunifies performance and lifestyle positioningStrategy
Background
Puma sought to move away from separate visions for performance and lifestyle and to make its sporting heritage more central to the brand.
Action taken
The company developed an integrated brand platform and placed greater emphasis on performance sport, speed, and athlete-led communication.
Aftermath
The strategy led into the Forever Faster platform and reinforced Puma’s use of high-profile athletes, teams, and sporting categories.
Source
2007
PPR takes control of PumaM&A
Background
PPR sought to expand its brand portfolio beyond luxury and retail assets and identified Puma as a major sportswear company.
Action taken
PPR acquired a controlling stake in Puma and integrated the company into the group later renamed Kering.
Aftermath
Puma remained a distinct listed sportswear company while operating under the ownership influence of a larger international group.
Source
1948
Rudolf Dassler separates from the Dassler brothers’ businessStrategy
Background
A breakdown in the relationship between Rudolf and Adolf Dassler ended their joint footwear operation and created two competing Herzogenaurach companies.
Action taken
Rudolf established an independent footwear company that became Puma, while Adolf continued the business that became Adidas.
Aftermath
The split created one of the sportswear industry’s most enduring rivalries and shaped both companies’ brand identities.
Source

Recent events

2026
Anta agrees to acquire approximately 29.06 percent of Puma[17]安踏同意收购 Puma 约 29.06% 股份jp.reuters.com
M&A
Anta Sports agreed to purchase approximately 29.06 percent of Puma from Artémis for about 1.5 billion euros. Completion was subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and was expected to make Anta Puma’s largest shareholder without an announced full takeover.
2025
Puma launches the GO WILD global campaign[7]Puma Japan GO WILD campaign releaseprtimes.jp
Campaign · Product launch
Puma launched GO WILD as a large-scale global campaign encouraging people to experience sport in their own way. Its first film focused on the exhilaration of everyday running and was intended to expand into additional sports and major sporting events.
2024
Puma partners with adam&eveDDB for a new global brand strategy[6]Puma and adam&eveDDB global brand strategybusinesswire.com
Campaign
Puma announced a partnership with adam&eveDDB to develop a global brand strategy focused on the emotional side of sport and on strengthening Puma’s position as a sports-performance brand.
2023
Puma reorganizes its global marketing organization[5]Puma global marketing reorganizationbusinesswire.com
Leadership change
The company announced a global marketing reorganization intended to strengthen brand value, speed decision-making, and make marketing more customer-centered.
2023
Puma Japan launches shopping app with augmented-reality try-on[9]Puma Japan shopping app and AR try-onsendenkaigi.com
Product launch · Other
Puma Japan introduced a shopping application offering e-commerce, augmented-reality footwear try-on, 360-degree product views, and advance product-release information.
2014
Puma announces the global Forever Faster brand platform[4]Puma Forever Faster launch coveragefashionmarketingjournal.com
Campaign · Other
Puma introduced Forever Faster as a unified global brand platform centered on becoming the world’s fastest sports brand, using international athletes and multimedia advertising across performance and lifestyle communications.

Sources17 sources

Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/プーマ · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled