We have some pairs of the Classic Kicks x Puma R698 available for sale. These are the Seafoam Green version limited to approx. 200 pairs Worldwide. Nubuck and 3M mesh combination with neoprene tongue and co-branded Classic Kicks x Puma label and insoles. Sneakers also come with neoprene computer case pictured above.

Since we’ve had some technical difficulties on the site, we have to do this old school-

You can Paypal us and we’ll send the sneakers.

Following Sizes Available: 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12 – $90.00 + $15.00 shipping

Email nick@classickicks.com with any questions.

Some more great pics from VagrantSneaker.com.

pics courtesy of Sneakers.fr

Looks like our Puma collaboration just landed at the first spot – Mita Sneakers in Japan.

They really took some great photos of these two colorways. We have them all posted after the break.

I know the grey ones have been produced, but maybe not making it to Asia?

Scheduled to release here on this website and other shops in the U.S. on February 15th.

I’ll post a complete list of shops here when I get it.

Click for MORE PICS

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Ok. Now that the weddings and Christmas are over and i’m bunkered here in Jersey, I have time to write a little something about the Puma collaboration that showed up on the blogs a little over a week ago.

The Classic Kicks x Puma R698 Collection

We actually started the collaboration process for this project back in the Summer of 2008. My man Adam over at Puma approached me and asked if Classic Kicks wanted to make an exclusive sneaker with Puma for the shop. It’s always great to hear an offer like that because it’s a “tip of the hat” from the sneaker company showing they acknowledge the work you do for them and respect your standing in the sneaker community. For that, we thank Puma for the opportunity.

My first thought was to re-visit the Thrift Project. I don’t know how many of you remember that collection, but it came out in 2002 (I think), and it was a collaboration with Jill Sander where all the sneakers were made from different pieces of thrift shop materials. I think it also came with some info on what pieces the materials originally came from and I think you could also track the lineage with serial numbers on the internet. I thought (and still think), it was a great concept and a really good looking final product, so I asked if we could re-visit that idea. At the time, I also felt like Adidas was getting the credit for the thrift idea that Puma had originally come up with. There were some Forums they were making from vintage track jackets and stuff like that and everyone was sweating them.

I went up to Boston, we talked out the idea, I chose the sneaker models and then came home and started going to the thrift shops. We were going to try to source most of the material in Asia, but I wanted to get some samples of the types of material I was thinking about for the project. I picked up the usual fabric suspects: denim, corduroy, seersucker, tweeds, snakeskin, velour, terrycloth, etc. I sent the materials to Puma and I thought we were ready to roll.

What I’ve learned from years of collaborations is that nothing is going to work out easily. It’s partially the fault of the person your dealing with at the company and them yessing you to get the project rolling (sometimes ideas stolen), but the truth also is that i’m here with no rules thinking of the craziest shit in the world for a sneaker, but there are logistical issues for these giant companies when it comes to making 100-200 pairs of a sneaker with all kinds of bells and whistles.

What happened to the Thrift Project is that there were all kinds of forms needed in regards to origin of the product. We couldn’t send all this crazy seersucker and tweed jacket shit to Vietnam or China or wherever they make these sneakers without a factory representative going to court to claim all the materials…..or so they told me. What plan B was (from Puma’s side), was to try to create a huge piece of fabric with different patterns and textures on it that we could cut up to get the same effect. Needless to say, after a couple months, that wasn’t up to snuff and I said to them that I was sorry to change the whole direction, but this isn’t what I want, can we just keep it simple and color up a few R698′s cause I really do love that sneaker? Puma agreed to that and that’s where we really got started with what you see here.

For me, I have certain rules when it comes to running sneakers. First let me just say that all my life, I’ve been a running sneaker guy. I always loved the classic hoops sneakers, but when springtime came around, I was always rocking some kind of running sneakers. I just can’t wear hi-tops and shorts. My “rules” really just have to do with keeping a running sneaker authentic. I don’t want denim or wool or some crazy materials on a running sneaker. I’m not into winterized running sneakers unless we’re just talking gore-tex. This is just a pet-peeve of mine. You know what i’m talking about? So when it came to these sneakers, I wanted to do some Classy Freddy Blasi, but also practical if you wanted to use these for their original design and intention: running.

Originally, we were going to do one color just for the shop and two colors that would be distributed worldwide to the Puma list accounts. That sounded perfect to me. Who wouldn’t want to have their name on a sneaker that was being featured in the 12-16 best sneaker shops in the world? To be honest, I also like the challenge of making a sneaker that’s not Nike, a real neck breaker. I grew up a Nike guy, but i’m a sneaker guy. I love good sneakers no matter what company…well, except Reebok.

So the first one that I worked on was the Seafoam / Purple / Infrared combination. That one started with inspiration from a vintage Adidas runner in a similar green colorway, that I saw in the Neal Heard Sneakers book. I just thought it was a great color for a runner and my added combination with the bright red and purple was just perfect. I also decided to keep the “river” on the outsole standard-issue Puma yellow cause it was a good color pop. This version also features silver reflective 3M underlays in the mesh. The infrared hits are also 3M. A running sneaker needs some reflective components, so I wanted the hits on the whole collection to be reflective. I think this first sample came back with this reflective mesh, just because the design guys wanted to show me it, and I liked it and decided to keep it. Good call fellas. Thanks. You can’t even see it until you use flash, but I like the extra level of insanity on this already out-there color combination.

Next we have the very light Grey / Black / Red / Teal. To be honest, this was a colorway of some friendship bracelet I had when I was 11 and I always like the combination. We were working on an Asics Gel sneaker with this same combination about five years ago (before they fizzled out on us), so I just decided to see if I could re-work it on these Pumas. This one looks tough to me. Oh, I also forgot to mention that all three have Neoprene tongues. To be honest, Puma liked that feature because as they said, “they are telling a Neoprene story that season”, so they like to tie shit like this together. I don’t mind it at all. It actually looks good and is a little different, so I agreed to keep it. That’s where the computer bag idea also came from. I personally threw out the idea to make Body Glove style wetsuits in the same color combinations for each one, just for marketing purposes, but that got shot down. Would have been dope to have a mannequin in full wetsuit with goggles, snorkel and matching sneakers. Fuck it. Why not?

Before I forget, I also have to apologize for the low quality images here. Puma marketing wouldn’t send me high quality for some fear of me leaking these early or something..Funny how marketing could care less about who’s designing these collabs and their intentions…..that all i’ll say about that. Anyway, marketing girl is on vacation for a couple weeks. Maybe i’ll get the HQ images some day.

Finally, we have the Grey / Pink / Teal / Purple. Grey is probably the most classic running sneaker color, so I wanted to base one off that. I think the other colors might have been inspired by the United Arrows New Balance and the Sneaker Freaker Pumas. We flipped it a little, but those colors look good together. Once again, all the pops are 3M in case you wanna run around after work in these.

Release Info

Puma told me these are scheduled for a February 1, 2011 release, but really no confirmation on that until they actually go into production. I’m going to check in on that this week and let you know if I get any info. All three colors will be sold only through select Puma List accounts and also here on Classickicks.com. They will be limited to a prepack at those accounts as well. Internationally, I think a few stores in Europe will carry these and i’m not sure about Asia. If Puma doesn’t send release info to blogs soon, i’ll get the info and pass it on here and on Twitter.

Hope you guys like the collection and please feel free to comment.

Thanks for reading.