The PUMA Clyde Trainer Was Originally Worn By The New York Knicks Legend

The PUMA Clyde trainer now returns to its spiritual home for the very latest season with all its 1970s basketball nostalgia & OG charm.

An interesting bit of trainer trivia of the day is that before the Suede was even known as the Suede, it was actually called the Clyde trainer and before that it was actually known as the Crack. The Suede's origins go back to 1968 and the Mexico City Olympics to be exact when Tommie Smith & John Carlos captured the growing civil rights movement in the US. The two PUMA sponsored athletes famously raised their fists at the medal podiums with a pair of PUMA trainers in their hands. Still under the direction of Rudolph Dassler, the 1960s & 1970s saw the two Dassler brothers go head to head on the running tracks, the courts and the football pitches to create the very best in performance footwear. It was all about endorsements with stories of some athletes even wearing PUMA on one foot and adidas on the other. As far as the Suede was concerned it was all about Walt 'Clyde' Frazier, the New York Knicks legend and Basketball Hall Of Fame inductee. Above: The PUMA Clyde trainer in all time red now available from 80s Casual Classics. The PUMA Clyde trainer was born on the high speed courts of the NBA in 1973 courtesy of Walt 'Clyde' Frazier. The relationship would go down in sportswear endorsement history with the Clyde quickly becoming just as popular on the streets as it was on the courts. Clyde wanted a low style with a new colourway for every game he played. The suede fabric made it easier for PUMA to dye different colourways as oppose to traditional leather with Clyde boasting nearly 400 different hues of the shoe. What was originally known as the Crack trainer now became the Clyde. When Clyde & Rudolph Dassler's PUMA's contract came to an end, the German sportswear brand could no longer legally use Clyde's name for the shoe. The PUMA Suede was born with the Clyde's success giving way to other classic basketball trainers like the PUMA Basket. The Suede's significance to street culture is simply like nothing else. Above: The PUMA Clyde trainer in navy now available from 80s Casual Classics. The super suede silhouette now arrives back at its spiritual home in some OG inspired colourways. This latest Clyde release keeps the legend of the 'all suede' silhouette alive & kicking with contrasting Puma stripe branding to the side walls and the signature gold Puma Clyde branding. Available in classic navy & red, the Clyde is finished off with the grippy rubber sole unit of the original 73' shoe. Shop the very latest PUMA trainer releases now from 80s Casual Classics via the links.