Looking to bank on its longest running football boot, Puma teamed up with fashion designer Alexander McQueen to produce the “King”—a limited edition designer boot in anticipation of the upcoming World Cup in Brazil.
The video spouts the virtues of working with natural materials such as leather, and the necessity of it being handcrafted in the time honored method attributed to the Made in Italy banner. Augusto Bonetto, the owner of the Bonis Factory in Treviso, Italy, where the Puma King is made, explains the importance of having highly skilled craftsman and women to handle the different stages in the shoes’ development with expertise and precision. Bonetto explains that it is “the human work that goes into this product that gives a sort of soul to the product, a life to the product.”
Unfortunately, this video is the closest any of us will get to experiencing the soul of this particular football boot, as only 100 pairs were made and none of them will be up for sale. So slip on those old weathered cleats and hit the football pitch with passion, because while we certainly appreciate high-end gear, it doesn’t make the player.
