The PUMA Suede has been a staple across different scenes, styles, and generations for decades. How the shoe was perceived and worn was shaped above all by its wearers.
Now, A$AP Rocky is revisiting a design from the ’90s and reinterpreting it from his own perspective. The A$AP Rocky x PUMA Suede ’94 combines details from the original version with references to New York street culture.
While culture, fashion, and personal identity are constantly changing, the PUMA Suede remains a constant. The model has been firmly rooted in various scenes and communities for generations and continues to stand for a straightforward, instantly recognizable look.
A$AP Rocky has been collaborating with PUMA as Creative Director for more than three years. For his new model, he deliberately drew on the nostalgia of the ’90s to bring back a version of the Suede that is closely tied to his own history and cultural background.
The A$AP Rocky x PUMA Suede ’94 features a padded tongue with raw-edge detailing, a woven retro label, and a sleeker-shaped outsole. Personal touches such as a gold-colored PUMA lace keeper and a specially designed shoe box round out the design.
The most distinctive feature is the full retro PUMA logo on the quarter panel. According to PUMA, this design has never been used on any other version of the Suede, making the model instantly recognizable as the Suede ’94.
A$AP Rocky’s choice of this variant is closely tied to the year the original was released. In 1994, New York City was a melting pot of the Golden Era of hip-hop, the emergence of modern streetwear, and a gritty downtown skate scene. The Suede ’94 not only accompanied these developments but was an integral part of the scene’s style at the time.
“I still remember when my mom bought me my first pair of PUMA Suede,” explains A$AP Rocky.
“Growing up in New York and seeing Walt Clyde Frazier with his style and his PUMA Suede—those were the shoes to have. And now, to tap into that ’90s nostalgia, bring it back through my own creative lens, and add special details—it’s amazing. PUMA hasn’t reissued the Suede ’94 since its original release. Reviving it now, stitch by stitch, based on the archive model, just felt right.”
The A$AP Rocky x PUMA Suede ’94 will be released on July 16, 2026, and will be available at select retailers such as Asphaltgold and BSTN.
Photos via PUMA
