PUMA Announce Return of Iconic 'King' Boot in Partnership With Thierry Henry

PUMA have announced the launch of a new boot which will see the return of their iconic 'King' release, which was first seen in 1968.

Paying homage to the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff, PUMA have teamed up with former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry to assist with the technical and performance development of the new PUMA KING Platinum.

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"I was able to share my experience as a player with the PUMA Football design team when developing the updated PUMA KING," Henry said about its development in a press release.

"The boot has more than 50 years of history and is renowned for its use of premium materials and style. We applied the same formula in updating this iconic shoe, focusing on craftsmanship and technical performance to meet the needs of the modern footballer."

Maintaining the boot's iconic design, the PUMA KING has integrated 3D ‘touch’ texture in its premium K-Leather which helps provide added control, while the super lightweight ‘RAPIDSPRINT’ outsole makes it the KING's fastest and lightest instalment ever.

It also has an ultra-modern slim silhouette and a knitted tongue which will improve the fitting of the PUMA KING.

Both the Platinum and Pro versions of the PUMA KING are available online and in-store from June 6.

Image by Ben Carter

On top of the players mentioned earlier who have worn the PUMA KING, and notably Portuguse icon Eusébio, some modern day players have also been seen wearing them at points during their career.

Zlatan Ibrahimović wore them when he was first breaking through at Ajax, while Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon - who recently announced he is leaving Paris Saint-Germain - has also been seen in the PUMA KINGs.