Header: PUMA SE 2026
The PUMA x JiyongKim CELL Geo is a sneaker made to look decades old, using weathered fabrics, distressed details and frayed laces to achieve that aesthetic. It was designed with Korean designer Jiyong Kim, whose Seoul menswear label, JiyongKim, is known for creatively fading clothes in the sun.
Paper stained by time
For the sneaker, Kim was inspired by a collection of old papers he had gathered over the years, their colours slowly changing through dirt, moisture and mould. Usually seen as signs of damage, these marks were recreated in the shoe. Now, the CELL Geo’s fabric looks as though it has been aged for decades, with the same look being applied to the shoebox. Launched in white, a black version will only be available through JiyongKim, in limited numbers.
Before its release, the sneaker was first shown in June of 2026 as the centrepiece of Kim’s first solo exhibition in Europe, at Pitti Uomo 110, a menswear fair in Florence, before appearing again in his showroom during Paris Fashion Week.
The CELL Geo
The base of the collaboration is the CELL Geo, which PUMA debuted at Paris Fashion Week in June of 2025 and launched in January of 2026 as an update of its CELL technology. First introduced in 1998, CELL was a cushioning system for running shoes, made of blow-moulded plastic and arranged in hexagonal cells to keep runners steady.
On the CELL Geo, the technology was turned into a decoupled heel unit that was then shaped into sharp geometric ridges on the outside. Above it, the upper was drawn with flowing cut lines and the laces were partly covered, giving the shoe a smooth outline.
Clothes left out in the sun
Kim’s signature technique, which the brand calls “Sun-Bleach”, was born from his long fascination with old clothes, which he collects and studies. It consists of no artificial dyes or chemical washes, but actually of leaving fabrics outdoors for several months so that the sun, the rain, the wind and the snow can slowly fade and mark them.
In June of 2026, Kim was a special guest at Pitti Uomo 110, as we’ve seen, where he showed a row of coats left outside for anywhere between none and 100 days, each one paler than the last.
Project information
Design Companies: PUMA, JiyongKim
Lead Designer: Jiyong Kim
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Date: 2026
