From A-Listers to the F1 Paddock—Inside the Meteoric Rise of 2025's It Sneakers

There are comeback stories, and then there's Puma Speedcats. They were originally designed in 1999 as high-performance footwear for Formula 1 drivers. These sleek, low-slung sneakers have quietly morphed into one of the most enduring (and surprising) style staples in modern fashion. What started in the pit lane has now found its way to the front rows and fashion feeds—spotted on everyone from Bella Hadid to A$AP Rocky.

In 2025, Speedcats are having a moment again, thanks in no small part to their latest head-turning revival: a limited-edition, all-white version created in collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Not to mention a slew of colorways and silhouettes that have reimagined the shoes from the cockpits of Formula 1 cars to the streets of New York.

To understand the Speedcat’s cult status, it helps to look back at its origin story. Before it was ever seen on a streetwear blog or runway, Speedcats were a tool for motorsport legends. The shoe’s DNA is rooted in racing, dating back to the 1980s when Puma created bespoke driving shoes for icons like Stefan Bellof, Christian Danner, and Gerhard Berger. These shoes were handcrafted, never sold to the public, and made with input from the drivers themselves. In the '90s, Puma later went on to craft its first Formula One team shoe for the British-based Jordan Grand Prix team.

The first lifestyle versions—available in low and mid-cut—were introduced in 2000. By 2002, the now-signature embroidered Puma Cat on the toe was added, and the shoes officially graduated from the tracks to the streets. Early adopters were drawn to the Speedcat’s sleek profile, soft suede construction, and almost impossibly low stance. What started as a niche motorsport release quickly became a low-key streetwear favorite. Motorsport stars like Michael Schumacher—then part of the Puma x Ferrari team—wore them off-duty, and soon they began showing up in nightclubs, skate shops, and, eventually, on celebrities.

“The Puma Speedcat, a legacy that has spanned 25 years, [was] poised to be a market breaker in 2024,” Adrian Cuevas, Puma’s lead product line manager for motorsport footwear, told Who What Wear. It's hard not to see why: Since then, Speedcats have undergone dozens of iterations, including leather, nylon, patent, and even pony-hair versions. In 2010, over 28 million pairs had been sold globally. Not bad for shoes that started in pit garages.

Fast forward to now, and the Speedcat’s resurgence couldn’t be better timed. Y2K style is fully back in the zeitgeist, and anything that even hints at early 2000s nostalgia (i.e., low-rise jeans, baby tees, tiny handbags) is ripe for revival. The Speedcat style fits right in. Recently, they’ve been seen on the likes of Central Cee, Emily Ratajkowski, and even K-pop megastar Jennie from Blackpink. Stylists love them for their mix of minimalist design and motorsport edge, and they’re frequently paired with baggy cargos, vintage leathers, and the kind of high-low outfits that define 2025 street style. Newer iterations of Speedcats, like the Speedcat Gos and Speedcat Ballets, have stolen the hearts of fashion girlies everywhere.

But it’s the latest drop that’s pushed Speedcats back into the motorsport spotlight. Puma's limited-edition collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari, launched in April 2025 for the Miami Grand Prix, has reimagined the Speedcat OGs in an ultra-clean, all-white leather upper, with translucent detailing and pops of color hidden in the sock liner and laces. “We wanted to create a 'canvas' and have a light-looking shoe,” Cuevas said of the design. "We kept it simple with white leather upper, but bringing color through laces, transparent outsole and sock liner, giving a strong connection to Miami.”

The collection also included the Speedcat Pros (performance-grade driving boots still used by Scuderia Ferrari drivers Charles LeClerc and Lewis Hamilton), but the OG model was the one making waves outside the paddock. Earlier this year, the Speedcat Miami Edition sold out almost instantly online, as they're sleek enough to wear with a slip dress or a tailored co-ord, but still sporty enough to nod to its motorsport roots.

What makes Speedcats special isn’t just their history; it’s the way it balances performance heritage with design-forward simplicity. In a sneaker world that’s often loud, chunky, and overly branded, Speedcats stand out by doing less. And in 2025, that low-key energy feels more modern than ever.

For shoes that were never meant to be fashionable, Speedcats have managed to influence everyone from F1 fans to fashion editors. Whether you’re styling them with jorts and tube socks or pairing them with something a little more elevated, it’s clear that they're not just back—they've never really been gone.

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