#SNEAKERHEADS: PUMA x Packer Homage to the Clyde with ‘Cow Suits’ Pack

Global Sports Brand PUMA and New Jersey stalwart sneaker retailer Packer Shoes band together once again, this time paying homage to the flamboyant style of basketball legend, Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Building off their roots as a neighbourhood shop founded in Yonkers in 1907, Packer has become one of the leading sneaker destinations in the US – always demonstrating a deep reverence for heritage and authenticity that shows in everything from their well-curated product selection to their thoughtfully considered collaborative endeavours.

A fashion icon both as a player and as a television personality, Walt Frazier’s sense of style is one of the most recognizable in the world of sports. His ’70s retro look was known for turtlenecks, fur coats and hats, and a love for animal prints that still carries on today through his unrivalled wardrobe stocked with a colourful assortment of wild custom-tailored suits. That sense of adventurous style is what PUMA and Packer channelled into the latest rendition of the eponymous PUMA silhouette.

 “It’s an honour to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Clyde in our own special way. Aside from being a bona fide New York City legend both on and off the court, he is also a rare example of someone who can walk into a room wearing a red or brown cow print suit and have no one bat an eyelid. That unwavering swagger and confidence in all he does is something we wanted to bring to life through our special renditions of his iconic signature model,” commented Mike Packer.

Dropping in two tonal colourways - Black & Red, both are constructed with plush suede uppers, each pair complimented with a faux fur cow print Formstripe inspired by two of Clyde’s most iconic suits. The attention to detail is remarkable and as sublime as how Walt Frazier commands his custom suits to be – stylin’ and profilin’. The cow print appears again on the sockliner with Packer branding in a gold print. A premium leather tongue label, milky white outsole and gold branding throughout put the final touches on this top notch collaboration.

In celebration of this special collaboration, PUMA and Packer decided to produce an exclusive Friends & Family pair to drop alongside the other two. This special pair is decked out with an all faux cow hide upper. The sneaker is dipped in a deep royal blue upper, complimented with gold accents on the laces and branding, as well as a cow print orange sock liner, all paying homage to Clyde’s basketball team. This pair will drop exclusively at Packer in very limited numbers and will not be available locally.

The Red and Black colourways (R2 999) are available at PUMA SELECT Bree Street, Cape Town and Braamfontein, Johannesburg.