Launching on June 18, 2025, the Balenciaga | PUMA collaboration—first unveiled during the Winter 25 collection—brings together Balenciaga’s avant-garde design language with PUMA’s heritage of high-performance sportswear. The result is a study in contrasts, where technical innovation meets fashion-forward expression.
The campaign, captured by photographer Ari Versluis, continues his ongoing dialogue with fashion and identity. Known for the anthropological series Exactitudes, created with Ellie Uyttenbroek, Versluis recently shot the Balenciaga by Demna “Exactitudes” Spring 26 lookbook, Demna’s final ready-to-wear collection for the House. For Balenciaga | PUMA, models Diede, Tianee, Brooks, Yav, and Joe are featured in videos and stills styled with Winter 25 pieces. In the films, high-intensity gabber dance movements play against the delicate soundtrack of Françoise Hardy’s Tous Les Garçons et Les Filles, underscoring the tension between raw energy and quiet elegance.
At the heart of the footwear offering is the recontextualized Speedcat Sneaker, first introduced in 1999 with its iconic flat sole designed for pedal responsiveness. The new Destroyed Speedcat deconstructs the original, stripping back its structure to create a supple, sock-like form punctuated by a cut-off Formstrip—a reinterpretation of PUMA’s 1958 motif. A laceless slip-on variant crafted in supple leather further transforms the silhouette, while the Balenciaga | PUMA Ballerina merges the Speedcat with the ballet flat, producing a satin slip-on hybrid.
The apparel selection, entirely produced with Balenciaga’s savoir-faire, reimagines classic sportswear codes. Technical sweatsuits in extra-dry molleton feature the Balenciaga lion crest, referencing vintage soccer warm-ups. Tracksuits in crisp and faded nylon incorporate 90s PUMA archival details, while outerwear expands into unexpected forms: a shearling “tracksuit” jacket and a trompe-l’œil suede bathrobe coat. Core wardrobe pieces—hoodies, T-shirts, and shorts—appear in signature Balenciaga fits, co-branded with bold Balenciaga | PUMA graphics.
