Puma Brings Back Iconic ‘KING’ Soccer Boots In 100% Animal-Free Redesign

What do soccer legends Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Eusébio, Pelé, and Lothar Matthäus have in common? Apart from being outstanding at the sport, these famous names have all worn a particular set of soccer boots—the Puma KING.

The sports brand is now looking to bring these storied shoes back to the game. However, this time they’re redesigned to be entirely animal-free—with its upper now containing at least 20% recycled material made from new K-BETTER technology.

According to Puma, K-BETTER doesn’t just allow for the boots to be cruelty-free, but the material even outperformed the previous leather upper in the areas of touch, comfort, and durability.

In fact, the company said it was “so convinced by the performance characteristics” of the material that it has pledged to stop producing soccer boots with kangaroo leather altogether this year.

Aside from the redesigned upper, the new KING will feature a lightweight outsole with an external heel counter, complete with a stability spine and conical studs, so players get maximum control over their movements and the ball.

Intriguingly, the pair even comes with a removable NanoGrip sock that helps keep one’s feet locked so every turn and kick can be met with precision and power. There’s even a women-specific fit available for female players.

“The Puma KING is Puma’s most iconic franchise in football and has always stood for using the best materials and the latest in innovation. Over the years we have seen the boot evolve and become ingrained in on pitch and off pitch football culture,” said Peter Stappen, Lead Product Line Manager Teamsport Footwear.

“The new KING takes the franchise to the next-level and offers a super-soft upper with optmial stretch resistance for ultimate touch and control benefits,” he added.

[via Interesting Engineering and Puma, images via Puma]