Welcome back again to a new episode of “Anime Meets Sneakers”! In 2022, Vans recruited One Piece on a collection, but unfortunately, it wasn’t as popular as you’d expect. However, this year, the Pume One Piece collection is something you don’t wanna miss. You see, this collab is not your average Luffy-themed capsule. Nope, it’s much more interesting than that. So, if you know your manga or anime, you definitely will like today’s items! And if you wanna see more awesome upcoming sneaker releases, our blog has got your back. Now, shall we jump in?
Puma One Piece Pays Tribute to the Four Emperors!
Alright then! Let’s catch you up on everything you should know before we hop into the Puma One Piece collab. So, One Piece is originally a manga series that turned into a 1,000+ episode anime. Oh, and let’s not forget that Netflix made its own version of One Piece! So if you weren’t aware of the anime, or it’s not your cup of tea, maybe the Netflix version is it. Now, let’s take a look at the kicks at hand, shall we?
The Puma One Piece includes different iterations of the Puma Suede. Each take is a tribute to one of the four current emperors! And if you’re wondering, the four emperors are Blackbeard, Luffy, Shanks, and Buggy. Now, without further ado, let’s find out how Puma captured the essence of each character!
Blackbeard Puma Suede
So, the Puma One Piece collab channeled all of Blackbeard’s dark power with this Suede colorway, aka Marshall D. Teach. The upper features a mix of black leather and suede, with golden details. Moreover, the cloud-like chenille cutoffs are a nod to the dark powers we already mentioned. And finally, the tongue features the three-headed Blackbeard Jolly Roger!
Shanks Puma Suede
Shanks, aka Red Hair, is the second emperor on our list of the Puma One Piece items. First, we’ll start with the burgundy suede upper that matches the character’s hair. Second, we have Shanks’ iconic three scars on the heel of the kicks, and that’s lowkey our favorite bit. And finally, the kicks wouldn’t be complete without the crossed sabers Jolly Roger, the logo of the Red Hair Pirates.
Gear 5 Luffy Puma Suede
Now we get to the very very cool bit! So, Luffy achieves his Gear Five ability during his final battle with Kaidou on Onigashima. And this ability turns his hair and outfit to all-white (except for his famous straw hat). So, the Puma One Piece collab chose this as its theme for the third Suede colorway. The kicks feature an all-white suede upper and white sole unit. And the side strip features a cloud pattern, which is a nod to the clouds that float around Luffy in his awakened state. Finally, the tongue features Luffy’s Fifth Gear embossing!
Buggy Puma Suede
Last but not least, we get to our last emperor, Buggy the Star Clown. And just like his crazy clown style, this Puma Suede colorway is the most popping out of the bunch. The kicks feature a red suede upper, and the side stripe is blue as a nod to Buggy’s hair. And to complete the look, the tongue features the star clown Jolly Roger, the logo of the Buggy Pirates.
Release Info
The Puma One Piece collection will drop on March 23, 2024, and the pairs will retail for $85. So, if you’re a sucker for collectible kicks like us, these babies are must-haves! Moreover, all the pairs will come with a Belly coin hang tag. However, instead of the B, Puma smartly switched it up with a P! So all in all, the collection is well thought out and executed. But how can you score these babies or any other hot kicks you like?
How to Score the Puma One Piece Drop & More
Whether you want these babies or have a saucier pair on your mind, we got you. You know how competitive the sneaker industry can get when the kicks are valuable. So, to gain an upper hand in the competition, an all-in-one bot can help you out. But you don’t have to look too far, because NSB3 is here, and supports all the sites that matter. From swooping Shopify to cooking on Nike SNKRS, we got you. So, make sure you get your key now to learn the ropes before drop day. Godspeed!
