WALT 'CLYDE' FRAZIER x PUMA FEATURE
“In the 80s you had the MCing, DJing, breakdancing, graffiti and the human beatbox. I am the 5th Element of all of the different departments that comes from Hip Hop. Back in the days, there was a certain style of dress. One of the major pieces we used to always rock was Puma. It was important because it was a part of the Hip Hop look. There were other sneakers but the focus was the Suede, and if you didn’t have that look you weren’t representing. Clyde’s playing ability was phenomenal. He was unreal.
At school we used to look up to Clyde. When that sneaker hit the street and it was his name representing Puma, we wore them to death. Everyone wanted to be a part of his success, his greatness, his legendary status. Once he endorsed, it became a permanent stamp in our mind and still to this day we’ve got love for Clyde because he was the man and still is the man. Back then it was about lookin’ good. When the Electric Boogie guys used to break (I was in Beat Street at the time), so when I seen ‘em dancin’ and my boy Wade was dancin’ he had on the Pumas you know what I’m sayin’ it was intense. Puma was one of the best sneakers to dance in too. It felt right for the foot. I remember the way you had to lace them… it was crazy. You could wear ‘em when you were going out or you could wear them just to play ball.
The Puma was always a fly sneaker man. You had to have a pair of Pumas. If you didn’t you better not come around here. Brooklyn loved the Puma. Harlem and The Bronx loved the Puma. The Puma was runnin’ things.”
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