PUMA Suede Classic Batman Sneaker Review – Own the Night!

The sneaker landscape has changed quite significantly over the past decade or so. It has crossed multiple genres and reached people from all walks of life. You no longer have to be the so-called ‘sneakerhead’ to want to own the best or coolest sneakers around. A lot of this has also been a result of the many cross-genre collaborations. The recent PUMA X Batman collection is one example of this. And I’ve received the PUMA Suede Classic Batman sneaker from the pack for review.

Just as Batman is one of the classic superheroes from DC comics, the Suede is aligned in that regard. Although classified as a silhouette from its archives, the sneaker continues to receive regular updates on colourways, collaborations and more. In 2018, the Suede celebrated 50 years since its debut release, having risen to new heights after the 1968 Olympics in Mexico with the iconic Tommie Smith moment.

The Batman franchise also celebrated an iconic milestone in 2019, having reached eight decades since it first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. The Caped Crusader is a fan favourite among young and old both as a standalone character and in his role in the Justice League. Both the Suede and Batman have seen remarkable success over the years and are now joined together as part of the collaboration to celebrate the latest film, The Batman.

Design and Build

Unlike many other collaborations for Batman, the PUMA Suede Classic variant stands out. Many previous Batman-related sneaker colourways have either gone with the near-all-black upper or that of the blues, greys and yellows from the older comics. This time around, with inspiration from The Batman film, the primary colours are black and red. And it looks brilliant.

The contrasting red (or Barbados Cherry, to be exact) is prominent against the PUMA Black on the front of the sneaker. You’ll easily have heads turning as you hit the streets with your sneakers, while it also stands out quite bolder during the nighttime, too.

While the colour scheme does play quite a significant role in the aesthetic, it really pops as a result of the nubuck suede on the upper. This is also where it derives its name from. Irrespective of opinions about keeping it clean, using suede on any sneaker always presents a premium touch. And that’s no different here. Not only does it look good, but the feel as you brush your hands across the dyed suede also gives you that feeling of elegance.

The PUMA Suede Classic Batmansneaker also features quite a lot of detail. On the lateral and medial sides on the rear end of the sneaker. The black upper has a hard stop in the centre of the Formstrip, which is about two-thirds from the toe to the heel. It then features the red on the rear, which wraps around from one side to the other around the back. Most of the details are found on the red portion of the sneaker, including the many bats on both sides. The bats appear as if they’re flying out of the dark (black) into the light (red). The bats fade away towards the heel. However, the heel itself has The Batman official logo and trademark moniker in the centre. The main bat if you were.

The Formstrip also fades between colours, although somewhat of an in-between of the red and black, along with red tooling. The tooling is also rubberised for added ruggedness. Then there’s the hexagonal pattern on the tongue atop a red base. It appears almost like webbing that you’d perhaps find in a bat cave. The exterior design is rounded off with the PUMA cat logo and “The Batman” text on the top of the tongue.

Finally, on the inside, the insole continues the bat pattern print, surrounding the PUMA and The Batman logos.

Irrespective of these add-ons to the Suede, it still has a remarkable minimalist feel about it. It looks clean and has a premium finish thanks to the materials used on the upper.

PUMA Suede Classic Batman Comfort

The original PUMA Suede was used as a running shoe in the 60s. However, it has gained acclaim as streetwear over the decades to follow. Very little has changed in the way of design, although some of the inner tech has been tweaked a tad on the PUMA Suede Classic Batman.

This was to allow for better comfort for everyday wear and when you’re on your feet all day. It may not look it but the sneaker is very comfortable. It would still come down to personal feel, with the many different feet shapes, especially on the arch.

Although most of my time wearing the sneakers was in smaller intervals of around one to two hours, I did wear it once for an extended period of time to test the durational comfort. It held up pretty well, I might add. I’m fairly confident that most people would find the Suede sneakers quite comfortable. They’ve been around for decades and will continue to do so, too. If there were any issues around comfort, we’d have known by now, and PUMA would’ve no doubt have addressed it.

The PUMA Suede Classic Batman won’t be any different in that regard when it comes to comfort. They’re based on the same underlying, tried and tested sneaker.

Performance and Quality

It’s no secret that the sneaker forms part of my collectable range, so wearing them out is not an option. That said, having owned previous pairs of the Suede and similar designs from the PUMA brand, they tend to last a considerable period. The soles are crafted from rubber, so they hold up very well over time.

As mentioned previously, the nubuck suede adds a level of premium to the sneakers. The quality is unmatched in that regard. It really is one of my favourite aspects of the PUMA Suede Classic Batman sneakers, which says a lot.

While there is a lot of quality in the construction and materials used, I was still worried quite a lot about picking up any scuffs or marks on the suede. This is especially true on the rear side, where the red would show up more prominently. What’s good about the colourway, however, is that scuffs on the suede will often appear as black, which would blend right in with the bats flying around.

Final Thoughts on the PUMA Suede Classic Batman Sneaker

The PUMA X Batman sneaker has really delivered on its collaboration with DC on film. In particular, on the PUMA Suede Classic Batman sneakers. Based on the Suede Classic sneaker, featuring a premium suede upper and sufficient detailing, there’s a lot to love here, both for a sneakerhead and a Batman fan. Standing out from the crowd, these sneakers will definitely be turning heads.

The sneakers are a steal at R1,800, available online at PUMA.com, as well as in stores across the country. These stores include PUMA Select, sportscene, Archive, X-Trend, Side Step, Shesha, Superbalist, WE ARE EGG, Totalsports and more.