Need for Speed: Puma and Tracksmith Launch the Speed City Collection

What You Need To Know

• Puma and Tracksmith are feelin’ the need… the need for speed
• The curated collection celebrates the famed Speed City running program
• It includes a full Tracksmith kit as well as Puma’s Deviate Nitro Elite
• Available August 18 for $45-$200

What do we know about big cats? They’re fast. Hares are pretty quick, too. Honestly, it only makes sense that Tracksmith and Puma would team up to celebrate one of the most dominant — and socially active — running programs of the 20th century. The two brands have officially announced their collaborative Speed City Collection, which honors the California-based team of the same name.

This collection celebrates not only Speed City’s remarkable achievements on the track but also its lasting impact away from the oval. The team, based at San Jose State University, took stands for social justice through both the Olympic Project for Human Rights and the 1968 Mexico City protest. Honestly, it sounds like the perfect story to share on a podcast — because there is one.

Tracksmith’s very first podcast, Legacy of Speed, details Speed City’s journey, featuring interviews with the runners and coaches who brought the program to prominence. Oh, and it’s hosted by Malcolm Gladwell. While he’s most known as a best-selling writer and host of the Revisionist History podcast, Gladwell is a competitive runner himself, so the podcast combines the best of all worlds. You can give it a listen here while you size up the rest of the collection.

The Speed City Collection

Both Tracksmith’s Matt Taylor and Puma’s Erin Longin had plenty of praise for the collaborative effort. Taylor remarked, “we were both so inspired by this story and the possibility of presenting it through a unique approach to both product and storytelling.” Longin tacked on, “There hasn’t been a more perfect time than now to revisit the storied history we share with Speed City.”

As for the collection, you know that any time Tracksmith is involved, it’s about to be a high-quality retro-inspired dream. The Speed City collection is no different, and it’s structured like everything a college athlete needs for race day. It features a singlet and 3-inch split shorts for your race, as well as a crew neck tee, jacket, and pants for warm-up and cooldown. Puma’s Deviate Nitro Elite is the icing on top and is the last piece of the racing puzzle.

Prices for the collection range from $45 to $80 for the Tracksmith pieces, while Puma’s Speed City Deviate Nitro Elite costs $200. The entire collection is available from August 18, and you can check it out at the button below.