PUMA’s iconic Mostro sneaker is back and this time, it’s rolling through the streets with local rapper and creative force Maglera Doe Boy.
Originally released in 1999, the Mostro blends influences from a 1960s track spike and an ‘80s surf shoe. Spiked sole, sleek strap, no apologies. It’s been dropped in limited-edition runs over the years, but now it’s back, louder, bolder, and ready to turn heads again.
The PUMA Mostro, which takes its name from the Italian word for monster, has been reimagined through a local lens with Maglera front and centre, diving into what it means to be bold, different, and unapologetically expressive.
The new campaign unravels how our conservative society perceives the alternative, the dark, and the expressive as outcasts.
The storytelling includes a video conceptualised, directed and produced by Maglera Doe Boy alongside visual artist Shala (@shalatheunicorn).
Shot in black and white by @crtvshots, and filmed in Johannesburg with Maglera and a cast of local talent, the video explores the idea of “monsters”, the ones who challenge the status quo, shift culture, and redefine the spaces they’re in. The film reframes what it means to be ‘othered’, showing how outsiders often become the real cultural pioneers.
The Mostro becomes a symbol for that energy. It is a unifying symbol for those who dare to be different and for all the beautiful ‘monsters’ among us.
“They call us monsters. They fear what they do not understand. But here, among our own, we find freedom to be exactly that: monsters.”
I want one!
The Mostro OG Black–PUMA Silver is available now at PUMA.com, PUMA stores, Archive, Side Step, Superbalist, Sportscene and Office London for R2 399.
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