Puma Suede (1968)

Tommie Smith wore Puma Suedes when he raised his fist on the 1968 Olympic podium in Mexico City — one of the most iconic protest images in history. The shoe became permanently linked to Black Power, civil rights, and athletic defiance. In the 1980s, the B-boy community in New York adopted Suedes for breakdancing (the flat suede sole was ideal for floor moves). The Clyde (a basketball version named after Walt "Clyde" Frazier) followed the same cultural trajectory. Puma Suedes have been in continuous production for 57 years, collaborated with everyone from Rihanna to MCM, and remain a $70 entry point into sneaker culture.