News Article: Puma Japanese Monster Pack

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Date:	01/24/2009
Author:	Anthony Romero
Source:	http://hypebeast.com

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In March of 2009, Puma is planning to release a collection of shoes, five in total, that are part of a "Japanese Monster Pack". Although not officially licensed by Toho, the inspirations for the shoes are quite overt.

The five shoes in the line each have a distinctive look and title, along with a small artist rendering of the monster on the front above the laces. The designs, and their inspirations, include: Lizoid King (Godzilla), Mecha King (Mechagodzilla), Terror King (King Ghidorah), Ape King (King Kong) and Moth King (Mothra). Many of the names are close to their inspiration, or in the case of King Ghidorah take from the creature's title as he was called the King of Terror in Rebirth of Mothra 3 (1998), or are linked to a similar animal.

The look of the shoes, from the metallic flash of the Mecha King to the dark leathered hide of the Lizoid King, creatively tie themselves to a respective kaiju. The Moth King, pictured to the right, is arguably the most interesting of the pack. The wing design on the side is quite obvious, and matches that of the Mothra seen in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) fairly well with the exception of blue coloring added in. The fur and "eyes" on the back also hark to the late Millennium version of the character.

As a side note, this will not be the first time that the company invokes Toho's kaiju properties, as back in 2006 the firm released a green and dark blue sneaker dubbed the "Clydezilla".