In recent months, PUMA has been dropping a mix of classic and futuristic sneakers across various collections, pushing the envelope of design and aesthetic detail in every silhouette. In addition to this, the premium sports brand has been partnering with fashion houses, designers and pop-culture icons across very different genres to offer fresh collaborations to its fans. A short while back, PUMA dropped a surprisingly colourful, PUMA x Atelier New Regime collection.
Atelier New Regime, a streetwear label from Montreal, began as a passion project and outlet for self-expression back in 2009. The company’s love for art, design, photography, as well as street culture, turned the brand into a collective of creators. The collaboration explored these different aspects when it dropped their range of sneakers, which included the Basket Boot, Tsugi Jun, Court Platform and Suede, all were reimagined for the drop. The range was one of the most exciting collaborations of 2018 and something I just had to get my hands on. Having received the Atelier New Regime X Puma TSUGI Jun, I take a closer look at the sneaker and why it was my favourite sneaker of the year.
Design
Any PUMA fan would be familiar with the Tsugi range, which was first released in May 2017 with the Tsugi Shinsei sneaker alongside PUMA ambassador, The Weeknd. One of the key design elements across the entire range is its texturised, rubber midsole. The patterned engravings are a feature across the entire sneaker with its ripple-like texture on the top end and squared grooves along the bottom end. A criss-cross pattern rounds off the stylised textures on the midsole.
Atelier New Regime is known for their futuristic designs and bold colours, which heavily feature their signature bright orange colours. Influencers from the Quebec region, which incorporates French-English cultural fusion is also a heavy influence on the brand. The colour blocking is evident across the entire collaboration and again here on the redesigned Tsugi Jun. The colouway, which is officially listed as Pebble/Olive Branch/Scarlet, features contrasting colours from the soft touches of the “olive branch” against the pseudo-psychadelic orange, which are featured on the midsole, sole, pull-tab on the tongue and heel tag, and further extended into the insole as well. The olive-green colours are featured on the leather toe cap and overlays on the sides in contrast against the neutrals of the knitted, sock-like upper in a “pebble” colour.
…a unique colour-blocking selection to make it stand-out in the crowd…
The silhouette features a clean and minimalist design with very little branding. PUMA branding is featured only on the tongue, with the New Regime embroidered lettering across the heel. Co-branding is reserved for the insole in a contrasting white colour. Apart from the colour scheme, the most extravagant feature on the shoe is its unique lacing system, another Tsugi constant. Overall, the build and design of the Tsugi Jun is solid. The silhouette features a mix of the simple and the creative, using a unique colour-blocking selection to make it stand-out in the crowd, which is evident with the looks I receive when hitting the streets.
Comfort
Already having the PUMA Tsugi Netfit in my locker, comfort would have been a given on the ANR X PUMA Tsugi Jun. The lightweight midsole with its IGNITE technology advancement provides superior energy return with each stride. Additionally, the technology also provides midsole cushioning and support. The support is extended to the heel area, which has a stretchable material (elastic gore), which wraps around the foot.
The lightweight midsole with its IGNITE technology advancement provides superior energy return…
The shoe has a sock-like construction made with the PUMA evoKnit, knitted material, which gives it an easy on-off slip-on design. The inclusion of the pull tabs on the tongue and heel further allows for the easier slip-on and off of the shoe. The lacing closure system also provides a snug fit to further support comfort when hitting the streets.
Performance
PUMA’s range of modern technologies provide most of the performance gains for the Tsugi Jun. Having already mentioned the impact of these, each of which providing some level of comfort and support. On quite a few occasions, I’ve worn the sneaker out and about for more than 12 hours at a time, sometimes doing quite a bit of walking and work as part of my typical media commitments and events. The Tsugi Jun has proven itself time and time again, and could even extend well beyond the 12-hour mark with relative ease and comfort.
…a piece of art…
With the current range of modern sneakers produced by PUMA, the company aims to provide optimum usage across sporting activities such as gym, while easily transitioning to the street. This has also extended into the Tsugi range. However, while there is more than sufficient comfort and support, even when testing it out on one or two runs, I wasn’t entirely confident that it would double up as a daily runner or hitting the gym. While there may be enough in terms comfort from the IGNITE midsole during the run, I wasn’t as comfortable with the evoKnit upper in terms of offering a snug enough fit for a full run. That said, it’s more than fine when it comes to your daily walkabouts. In all honesty, it may all be psychological in the end, not wanting to damage any part of the shoe, which in itself is a piece of art more than your average trainer.
Quality
As with many shoes across the PUMA range, you can expect nothing but quality with this sneaker. From the knitted upper to the injection-moulded ethylene-vinyl acetate midsole (IGNITE foam), the silhouette delivers great quality. Unlike many other sneakers that show wear and tear over time, the Tsugi Jun hasn’t shown any signs of this at all. This is mostly down to its knitted finish, which provides flexible use without any distortion. The inclusion of the elastic heel shows the level of detail in the sneaker from the design team, creating a better fit for the sock fit. The reinforcements of the leather overlays also add to the quality of the design, strategically placed in high-intensity areas of the sneaker, which will lessen the effects of wear over time.
Conclusion
The Atelier New Regime X Puma TSUGI Jun is both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable to wear, allowing wearers to confidently hit the streets. With its bright orange colour across the midsole, it also stands out in the crowd, even more so when under certain lighting when in the club. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a daily driver at the gym or as a trainer, it more that comfortably manages to cross the 12-hour mark without feeling any side-effects.
Although the sneaker was released quite a while back now, as the turnaround on sneakers in store is fairly quick, there are still a few in circulation at Superbalist and Madaiza, having also initially been available at PUMA Select stores. If you’re lucky enough to find a pair in your size, it’s going to set you back R2,999, the standard price point among the high-end sneakers of today.
The Review
Atelier New Regime X Puma TSUGI Jun is both a beautiful sneaker and extremely comfortable, which is more than capable of providing the wearer with 12 hours of continuous wear without any fuss.
PROS
- Vibrant colour-blocking
- Beautifully simple design
- Comfortable for hours at a time
