Cuckoo clocks, cherry cakes and those traditional hats with the big red bobbles on them, there are a wealth of internationally known symbols associated with the Black Forest region. Now, a pair of trainers is set to become the newest addition…

Puma launches German cuckoo clock trainers

In partnership with the regional tourist board, German sports brand Puma has announced that it will release three new trainer designs which are based on symbols of the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg.

The first design to be released will take its inspiration from the cuckoo clock, which was first made by an unknown inventor in the region in the early 17th century. The Puma Slipstream Lo model shoes will display some features associated with a cuckoo clock - a pendulum and some wings - but will instead be silent and not made from wood. 

“[The cuckoo clock] represents not only the love for one’s homeland, tradition and craftsmanship but also creativity and inventiveness,” head of the board Hansjörg Mair said in a press release. Customers looking to snap up a pair - limited edition trainers usually sell out fast - will have to buy them from selected shops or directly from the Black Forest Tourist board.

Which Schwarzwald shoe designs will come next?

Nothing quite says, “Come to the Schwarzwald” like a pair of trainers! For Puma's head of central European marketing, Anna Egger, the partnership makes lots of sense, “The cooperation between us as a traditional sportswear company and the Black Forest as a vacation region with so many icons just fits,” Eggers said in the press release.

And the excitement isn’t over yet. With two of the special edition designs yet to be released, sneaker fans will be waiting with bated breath to see what Schwarzwald symbol will next be transformed from an age-old artefact to on-trend trainers. The rolling hills? The aforementioned big bobble hat? Watch this space.

Thumb image credit: (C) PUMA / CC-BY-4