The Busan-based hybrid business Balansa and the sports giant Puma join forces for a special collaborative running collection that will introduce four new footwear colorways and accompanying apparel to consumers. The footwear silhouettes that Balansa and Puma have been working on are the Puma Deviate Nitro 2 and Puma Liberate Nitro 2. The designs are optimized to provide superb performance, complete with mesh uppers that ensure breathability and "responsive NITRO soles" for comfort and security. Both of these will be made available in two colorways—bright yellow and black.
The running collection by Balansa x Puma will also feature garments like graphic tees, hooded windbreakers, trousers, shorts, and more. All of these are, of course, optimized for running, as well.
The new capsule will drop on March 17th via Puma Korea and Balansa.
Collaborative Running Collections
Balansa and Puma Join Forces on a New Footwear and Apparel Drop
Trend Themes
1. Collaborative Running Collections - The trend of brands collaborating on specialized collections geared towards a specific activity, such as running, is disrupting traditional fashion collaborations.
2. Performance-optimized Footwear - The trend of designing footwear with optimized features for specific activities, such as mesh uppers for breathability and responsive soles for comfort, is disrupting the typical design of casual shoes.
3. Athletic Apparel Collections - The trend of creating specialized apparel collections for specific activities, such as running, is disrupting the general approach of fashion brands creating collections without considering activities of the clothes or shoes.
Industry Implications
1. Sportswear - The sportswear industry can take advantage of the trend towards performance-optimized footwear and athletic apparel collections by working with other specialty brands to create products geared towards specific activities.
2. Fashion - The fashion industry can tap into the trend of collaborative collections geared towards activities like running, as a way to stay ahead of traditional collaborations and increase revenue streams through cross-branded products.
3. Retail - The retail industry can disrupt its approach to fashion by creating more specialized collections or collaborations geared towards the activity that the clothes or shoes are designed for, such as running.