$1,090 Balenciaga x Puma Speedcat is a Distressed Take On Fashion's Most Popular Sneaker
By Ben McKimm - News
Published: 26 June 2025
Share Copy Link
Readtime: 3 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
Revives the iconic 1999 Speedcat with a fashion-forward reimagining
Features cut-off PUMA Formstrip for deconstructed visual impact
Destroyed Speedcat delivers a soft, sock-like upper feel
Slip-on leather Speedcat variant offers minimalist, laceless styling
Speedcat Ballerina hybrid blends motorsport and ballet flat aesthetics
The Puma Speedcat has taken over in the post-adidas Samba world. Now, fashion's favourite shoe has been given the classic Balenciaga distressed treatment as part of the brand's Winter 25 collection.
Renowned photographer Ari Versluis is behind the lens for this campaign that sees models Diede, Tianee, Brooks, Yav, and Joe style looks from the Balenciaga | PUMA collaboration alongside pieces from Winter 25 that include AUD$16,000 Robe and AUD$12,000 Leather Jacket. However, it's the collaborative AUD$1,090 Balenciaga x Puma Speedcat that we're focused on for this article and how it blends Balenciaga's avant-garde fashion with PUMA's heritage in high-performance sportswear.
Now available at Balenciaga Sydney – Westfield, Melbourne – Collins Street, Chadstone, Brisbane – Queens Plaza, and Auckland – Westfield Newmarket, this is one of the first collaborative releases since Demna's final Spring 26 RTW collection for the brand. Let's take a closer look at what makes this sneaker, so, well, controversial?!
Balenciaga x Puma Speedcat | Image: Supplied / Balenciaga
It wouldn't be a Balenciaga | PUMA collaboration without a pair of Speedcats. The sneaker has quickly become one of the most widely worn sneakers in fashion after the heat around the adidas Samba cooled. While they were originally quite difficult to find, especially in the sought-after 'Kill Bill' colourway, the Speedcat can easily be found at retailers around Australia, including Puma, JD Sports, and HYPE DC, for a retail price of AUD$180 in a variety of colourways.
That's a small price to pay compared to the Balenciaga | PUMA Speedcats, which retail for AUD$1,090 and feature a destroyed look that's similar to the Balenciaga x adidas Stan Smith that released back in November 2022 to mixed reactions from sneakerheads and fashion experts.
Interestingly, compared to the AUD$180 Speedcats that you'll find at your local shoe shop, the Balenciaga | PUMA Speedcats more closely resemble the original 1999 Speedcat with a slimmer toebox and outsole.
Balenciaga x Puma Speedcat | Image: Supplied / Balenciaga
If the sneaker isn't your style, maybe the laceless slip-on variant in supple leather is more your angle. Alternatively, the new Balenciaga | PUMA Ballerina is a hybrid sneaker-ballet flat crafted in satin.
Next to the PUMA sneakers, apparel is crafted using Balenciaga's in-house savoir-faire and includes:
Extra-dry molleton sweatsuits with lion crest emblems inspired by classic soccer warm-ups.
Tracksuits in crisp and faded nylon with archival 1990s PUMA details.
A trompe-l'œil suede bathrobe coat lined with brushed molleton.
A shearling tracksuit jacket merges luxury textures with athletic silhouettes.
The collection also features hoodies, T-shirts, and shorts in fitted, medium, and oversized cuts, all featuring co-branded Balenciaga | PUMA graphics.
You'll find the Balenciaga x Puma Speedcat at select Balenciaga stores globally and on balenciaga.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Rosie O'Donnell eviscerates Jeff Bezos and ‘fake fembot' Lauren Sánchez for gluttonous $76 million wedding: ‘Sold his soul'
Rosie O'Donnell tore apart Jeff Bezos and his 'fake fembot wife,' Lauren Sánchez, for their over-the-top $50 million ($76 million AUD) wedding in Venice, Italy. 'The BEZOS wedding,' the comedian wrote via Instagram Monday, along with alleged photos of the former journalist's appearance before and after cosmetic work. O'Donnell called out the 'billionaires' who gathered for the nuptials 'in the gross excess of it all' — adding that it 'turned [her] stomach.' 'Is Oprah friends with Jeff Besos [sic] really — how is that possible,' the 'View' alum, 63, continued. O'Donnell claimed the Amazon founder 'treats his employees with disdain' and that 'by any metric he is not a nice man.' She then called out Sánchez, saying, 'And his fake fem bot [sic] wife who looks like that. Why would he choose her after the salt of the earth Mackenzie.' The 'League of Their Own' star was referring to Bezos' first wife, MacKenzie Scott, whom he was married to from 1993 to 2019. 'Sold his soul is what it looks like from here. The devil is smiling at all his conquests,' O'Donnell concluded. Reps for Bezos, 61, and Sánchez, 55, were not immediately available to Page Six for comment. Social media users in O'Donnell's comments section were divided over her harsh commentary about the newlyweds. 'We've lost touch completely. With what's real, with what matters, with each other,' one person agreed. 'All those members of the arts … it's disappointing, really,' another added. 'I was shocked to see Leonardo DiCaprio there … Mr Climate change himself partying with one of the most destroyed people on the planet,' a third chimed in. But Robin Thicke's wife, April Love Geary, was one of many to chide O'Donnell, writing, 'I'm not a fan of them — but I don't think it's a good look to make fun of other people's appearances. 'I'm all for disliking people because of how they treat others/etc but it is sad to see women post overly edited pictures of women and talk poorly about their appearances so publicly.' 'Can't we just stick to talking about how Bezos treats his employees terribly? Why do we have to tear women's looks apart on social media,' Geary continued. 'This is called bullying … so sad … it's sad to see women bullying other women,' another person echoed. Bezos and Sánchez were also shaded by Charlize Theron, who said 'they suck' while speaking at a charity event over the weekend. The couple invited A-list guests, including the Kardashians, Orlando Bloom and Sydney Sweeney, to their extravagant three-day wedding celebration, which began with a welcome party on Thursday evening. They then tied the knot on San Giorgio Maggiore island Friday and hosted a pajama-themed party the following night. The weekend came to a close as several celebrities were spotted leaving for the airport on Sunday. Originally published as Rosie O'Donnell eviscerates Jeff Bezos and 'fake fembot' Lauren Sánchez for gluttonous $76 million wedding: 'Sold his soul'
SBS Australia
16 hours ago
- SBS Australia
SBS Japanese Newsflash Monday 30 June
Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and Japanese-speaking Australians. Ease into the English language and Australian culture. We make learning English convenient, fun and practical.
Sky News AU
19 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Access to royalty': Kensington Palace severs ties with royal donor Minerva Mondejar Steiner following claims she offered access to Prince William for cash
Prince William has cut ties with a high-profile donor after she allegedly attempted to sell access to him and Princess Catherine for tens of thousands of pounds. Minerva Mondejar Steiner, a Filipina-Swiss millionaire and art gallery owner, reportedly offered a private meeting with the Prince in exchange for a £20,000 (roughly AUD$40,000) donation. Her gallery, The Mondejar Gallery, had been an official sponsor of the Prince's annual charity polo event. According to The Sunday Times, Mondejar Steiner circulated an email spruiking "VVIP tickets" and exclusive "access to royalty" to businesses willing to pay £50,000 (about AUD$100,000) to advertise in a magazine handed out at the polo fundraiser. The Royal Charity Polo Cup, held at Windsor Great Park each July, is a strictly invitation-only event where wealthy donors watch the Prince of Wales play polo and contribute to causes close to his heart. Despite already being on the guest list, the 45-year-old reportedly extended a "strictly private and confidential" invitation to members of a luxury concierge network called A Small World, offering them access in exchange for donations to her own charitable organisation, the Mondejar Foundation. "As a patron of the Mondejar Foundation, you are invited to support their philanthropic work through a charitable donation, in return for which you will be welcomed to this prestigious occasion," the email read. "Patron contributions: £6,000 – admission for one patron. £20,000 – includes full access plus a private audience with Prince William and Princess Catherine." Also on offer was a "luncheon" with "free-flowing champagne", entry to an art exhibition and the opportunity to mingle with "ultra-high-net-worth individuals, cultural icons and luxury leaders". The email warned that the invitation was not to be shared publicly or on social media. In response to the damning revelation, Kensington Palace source told The Sunday Times that Prince William "did not condone the type of behaviour" described and thanked the publication for "bringing the matter to their attention". They said the palace had no knowledge Mondejar Steiner was using the event to raise money for her own foundation, nor that she was promising access to the royal couple. It added that they were "only familiar" with Mondejar Steiner's gallery, not her foundation, and had no idea she had partnered with a luxury lifestyle group to distribute invitations. Given the circumstances, they said, the Prince's team had requested that the club sever its ties with her. William, 43, is expected to attend the event, as well as a behind-the-scenes reception to thank "those involved". However, it is unclear whether Catherine, also 43, will be present. Last year, the mother-of-three did not attend the event because she was undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. Despite being cut by the Waleses, the wife of Zurich-based film director Michael Steiner still appears to have plenty of rich and famous acquaintances. In September, she was photographed with Prince Harry at the WellChild Awards in London. Weeks earlier, she posted about meeting actor Benedict Cumberbatch at a film screening on climate change. has contacted the Mondejar Gallery for comment.
