Medusa vs Kraken... the new size? x PUMA colab is Wild!
Adding a new chapter to their history of collaboration, UK-based retailer size? is preparing two exclusive renditions of the PUMA Inhale. After the OG retro runner returned to stores earlier this year, the main event can now be revealed – introducing this monster mash of the titans... Medusa vs Kraken! With venom green mesh and hot pink snakeskin Formstripes, Medusa’s serpentine hairdo has been remade in sneaker form, while glossy black patent pops and stone grey tongues complete the petrifying transformation. In the mollusc corner, the Kraken’s octo-inspiration is highlighted with dank purple mesh and tentacle graphics.
To delve a little deeper into this mythological collaboration, we caught up with Jaye Taylor-Ward, the assistant footwear buyer at
Ahoy there Jaye! How are things at size?
Great, thanks. Some really good product coming through for the rest of the year and then we’re into our anniversary next year, which we’re all really excited about.
Tell us a little more about the background to this PUMA collaboration?
We’ve worked closely with for a long time within size?, but we saw this project as a great opportunity to really collaborate with the brand on a pack with loads of character and produce something really different. The concept comes from Greek mythology, it starts when Medusa was killed by Perseus and later faced the Kraken, he then took her head and used it to defeat the creature as her eyes could turn anyone or anything to stone whether she was dead or alive. We loved the story behind it all and knew we could bring something really interesting to life!
We’re big fans of the Inhale here at SF (check issue 41!) but why did you choose that model? Is there a personal connection?
No real personal connection to be honest. If you look at the outsole on the Inhale, it almost seems to creep up onto the upper and look like tentacles or breaking waves, and that’s where the Kraken idea came from. We then started reading up on the story of the Kraken and its roots in mythology and we stumbled upon another mythical creature which was linked with the Kraken. This is how the Medusa Inhale was born.
We have to ask… do you have a favourite of the two pairs?
Has to be the Medusa! The pink snakeskin on the PUMA Formstripe is my favourite detail. The sidewall branding is such a good detail and a great link to the story without giving too much away.
I can imagine with such rich source material you could have gone crazy with the details and risked making something unwearable. How was the journey to the finished product?
There were obviously changes along the way, but the whole creative journey was really easy. PUMA are always a great brand to work with and the team really understand what we were going for on this project. Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away when doing something this crazy and out there, but we feel the shoes came out brilliantly and the design details really tell the story!
With the 20th anniversary on the horizon anything else we should be on the lookout from size? and PUMA?
Definitely! We’ve got some big things in the pipeline but we’re keeping them on the downlow for now!