2.24.2009

A Sneaker for Any Occasion

I have this whole bipolar, tug-o-war thing going on when it comes to men's footwear. I love to look good in a sweet pair of shoes, but sometimes looking good means sacrificing comfort. You cannot compare a pair of, say, Aldi brogues to a comfy pair of soft kicks.

But maybe, just maybe, Puma has found a happy medium with their line, "The Black Label."

Of course, anyone who's anyone these days in the world of design is "stepping up" with a high-end line of "Black Label" inspired duds. But give credit to Puma- they are no longer just an out-of-touch, old-school label still clinging to the styles that every kid I know wore in the early 80's (not that those are not back as well). According to the Puma website, the philosophy behind "The Black Label" is "an authentic sport-fashion collection featuring modern interpretations of PUMA iconic sneakers with fashion-forward shapes that fuse form and function".

Puma has built on its decades of athletic footwear experience to create some pretty stylish alternatives to a hard shoe for any occasion. Take a look at the slide show below at my picks from Puma "The Black Label". (Be sure to click the "text" icon to the left for descriptions.)

Pricing ranges from $180 to $280 and the line stays true to this range of pricing across its Black Label choices. Not exactly in the designer collaboration pricing stratosphere, but high end kicks for sure.
I picked these out for: a) style factor, b) appropriate occasion and c) I could see one reasonably getting away with these instead of a legitimate dress shoe without raising eyebrows- except the brows of envious onlookers.



And right now, you can catch a 25% Off sale on everything using coupon code CAT25 at the Puma store. Added bonus, these selections also qualify for Puma's free shipping promo (on all orders of $85 or more).

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