Puma Logo PNG
The Puma logo conveys the energy and character of the sportswear and footwear brand. The silhouette of a leaping panther symbolizes agility, speed, and the drive for achievement. The image has become a mark of quality and comfort associated with the company’s products.
Puma: Brand overview
Puma emerged from a split between brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, who had built a shoe workshop in Herzogenaurach in the 1920s. Their footwear gained attention in 1936 when Jesse Owens won four Olympic gold medals wearing their spikes. After World War II, the partnership collapsed. In 1948, Adolf founded Adidas, while Rudolf created Puma, with both companies operating on opposite sides of the same town.
From the start, Puma relied on athlete endorsements. In 1952, Herb McKenley competed in the 100 m at the Helsinki Olympics. In 1958, Pelé signed with the brand after winning the World Cup. In 1968, Tommie Smith drew global attention by tying his Puma laces before a race in Mexico City. In 1970, Pelé again highlighted Puma King boots during the World Cup in Mexico.
After Rudolf Dassler died in 1974, the company remained under family control but faced pressure from Nike and Adidas in the 1980s and 1990s. Expansion into apparel failed to stabilize the business, and by the mid-1990s, Puma was close to bankruptcy.
A shift came in 1993 when Jochen Zeitz became CEO at 29. He restructured operations, moved production to Asia, and repositioned Puma toward lifestyle fashion. Collaborations with Jil Sander and Alexander McQueen brought the brand into new retail spaces.
In 2007, PPR (later Kering) acquired a controlling stake for €5.3 billion, placing Puma alongside Gucci and Saint Laurent. In 2017, Bjørn Gulden took over as CEO and focused on sports sponsorships with athletes such as Antoine Griezmann and Neymar, before leaving for Adidas in 2022.
Meaning and History
The company had several names. Initially, RUDA (a combination of the first two letters of the creator’s name and surname), then PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport. Now, the company is simply called Puma, with its name and iconic emblem remaining the same.
What is Puma?
It is a transnational corporation that produces sports accessories, footwear, and clothing, and is the world’s second-largest. It was founded by entrepreneur Rudolf Dassler in 1948 based on the company Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik, which, after a quarrel between the owners, was divided into two independent companies. One of them became Puma, and the other became Adidas. The company’s headquarters is located in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria.
1948
In 1948, the Rudolf Dassler Sportschuhfabrik began operations in the small German town of Herzogenaurach. It was known by the short name Ruda. The founder was Rudolf Dassler, who started the business after separating from his brother Adolf. Adolf later founded Adidas, and the Puma brand followed. Ruda had its own market for the brand’s place and time of origin.
At the center of the emblem is a stylized shoe sole. Wings with cutouts extend outward from it. The main symbol is rendered in dark burgundy.
On both sides of the symbol are the words “Rudolf” and “Dassler”. They are set in a calligraphic italic style in the same color range. The letters feature smooth lines and curls.
Below is the word SPORTSCHUHFABRIK in olive gray uppercase letters in a sans serif typeface. The inscription translates to “sports shoe factory” and indicates the production focus. The logo reflects a period when the brand served a local market and relied on the founder’s name.
1948 – 1968
A few months after the launch of Rudolf Dassler Sportschuhfabrik, the brand was renamed Puma. The name was taken from a fast predator. The owner’s surname, Rudolf Dassler, was represented in the emblem by the single letter D.
The core of the mark is a black silhouette of a puma in mid-leap. The figure is stretched horizontally. The legs are tense, the tail is curved, and the image conveys a moment of attack and physical strength.
The background and structural frame are stylized as a letter D. The puma seems to break through the shape with its leap across the letter’s inner space.
The combination of the puma and the letter D formed the early image of Puma, associated with speed, drive, and a competitive sports spirit.
1951 – 1968
In 1951, the Puma emblem was reworked, more precisely expanded, and placed into a more complex hexagon-based shape. The scene of the puma passing through the letter D was preserved without changes, and the proportions remained the same. The symbol was placed inside a double frame formed by two hexagons, one nested within the other.
At the center is the puma’s silhouette in a leap. Below the symbol, the word “PUMA” was added in uppercase. The typeface is decorative, with widened proportions so it does not visually get lost next to the symbol.
The space between the inner and outer contours is filled with text. A serif typeface close in style to Century or Times New Roman is used. At the bottom, SCHUHFABRIK indicates that it manufactures shoes. On the sides, the founder’s first and last names, RUDOLF and DASSLER, appear. The color scheme is limited to black.
The composition linked the puma image to the founder’s name and the brand’s early stage of development, while the frame gave the emblem a finished, orderly appearance.
1958 – 1968
In 1958, the company changed its identity style and abandoned the previous symbols. In their place appeared a mark focused on athletic footwear, a cleat. Over the following decade, the company used an emblem featuring a shoe image and the Puma form-strip signature.
The cleat is shown in black and white with dot retouching. It is turned to the left, with a well-developed shape and details. Studs are visible on the sole. They indicated that the model was intended for soccer or running. Along the outer side runs the formstrip. The line starts near the lacing and narrows toward the heel, following the shoe’s curve.
Above the illustration is the word “PUMA” in uppercase. The typeface is sans serif, vertically extended, and closely related to Futura Black Condensed, with soft, rounded forms. To the right is the inscription in italics, slightly slanted. Above the letter I, a small five-pointed star replaces the dot. It symbolizes a technical approach to footwear development.
This emblem connected the brand with themes of sport, technology, and product renewal.
1968 – 1970
Rudolf Dassler believed that the old mark did not accurately reflect Puma’s meaning. In his view, the footwear image did not convey the qualities associated with the brand name. These included a predator’s agility, strength, flexibility, speed, and endurance. Dassler decided to change the emblem and turned to cartoonist Lutz Backes. At that time, Dassler’s son Gerd was studying under Backes.
The work began with the image of a black puma. Later, Lutz refined the animal’s features, modifying the head and paws to achieve the desired look. The result appealed to Dassler. He offered the artist 1 cent per pair of shoes with the new logo, but Lutz chose a one-time payment of 600 marks instead. In addition, he received a pair of shoes and a Puma sports bag.
The new mark was an elongated black silhouette of a leaping animal. The front legs are stretched forward, the hind legs pulled back. The shapes are simple yet convey the animal’s jump and strength. The image fit the Puma brand naturally.
1970 – 1974
By 1970, Puma changed the predator’s silhouette and moved away from the previous horizontal leap. The figure began to resemble a throw or an upward jump. The proportions were reworked, the body stretched differently, and the lines made lighter. The silhouette is rendered in white with a thin black outline, giving the mark the appearance of a sketch or a working drawing.
The animal’s front is directed upward. The front legs are slightly bent and raised, as if the puma is reaching toward a target. The hind legs are extended and lowered, forming an arc through the body. The long tail follows the body’s curve and supports the overall tilt.
Instead of a polished mark, the result looks like an intermediate drawing or registration graphic. The vertical presentation captures the moment of an upward leap and conveys lightness, freedom, and the predator’s strength.
1974 – 1976
In 1974, Puma reintroduced text into the emblem. The company name returned. It was set in a large, heavy sans-serif typeface that closely resembles Display Gothic or Impact. The letters are uppercase, wide, vertically stretched, and slightly rounded.
All elements were arranged into a horizontal rectangle. On the left is the word “PUMA,” while on the right is the silhouette of a predatory cat. The silhouette is angled upward from right to left and does not emphasize musculature, making it appear lighter and calmer.
The result is a combination of heavy text and a lighter, more refined animal image. Puma united the name and the symbol into a single, simple, and clear mark.
1976 – 1978
In the mid-1970s, the company updated its style, emphasizing simple form and the theme of speed. Between 1976 and 1978, the brand removed the predator silhouette, leaving only the mark’s name.
The logo appeared as a heavy lowercase wordmark with a slight rightward slant. In appearance, the typeface resembled Microgramma Bold Italic and Eurostile. The lettering felt current for its time.
A thin line ran beneath the word Puma. It began at the lower edge of the letter p and gradually narrowed toward the right. The line resembled a trail or the trajectory of a jump, adding a sense of speed and completing the composition.
This version was used briefly, but it was memorable. The logo differed strongly from the familiar Puma image and became one of the most unusual marks in the brand’s history.
1978 – 1980
After realizing the consequences of removing the puma symbol from its logo, Puma reverted to a familiar look after a brief experiment. In the new version, the name and the symbol were combined into a single composition.
The word PUMA is set in large black uppercase letters. The shapes are heavy and almost rectangular. The inner and outer corners are slightly rounded. In style, the typeface is close to Impact or a softer version of Compacta.
Above the wordmark, on the right side, the silhouette of a puma was placed. It is simplified and rendered without small details. The animal is shown leaping. The body is stretched forward, the front legs reach ahead, the hind legs act as support, and the tail is raised. It creates the impression that the puma is jumping over the word.
The return to a familiar scheme connected the text and the symbol in a single mark, making the brand image cohesive and easy to perceive.
1980 – today
In 1980, Puma decided to use the puma silhouette as a standalone symbol. By then, the mark was well known and could function without a caption. At the same time, the symbol and the name continued to be used together.
The symbol consists of a black silhouette of a leaping puma. The animal is stretched diagonally upward and to the left. The head is rendered more carefully than the other parts, which makes the silhouette feel more alive. The mark was reduced to a minimum. It works independently and represents Puma without words.
1980 – 1988
In 1980, along with introducing the standalone symbol, the company updated the presentation of the full logo version and the symbol with text. It brought back the Formstripe, placing it in an unusual position. The name PUMA is set in large black uppercase letters. The typeface is sans serif, vertically stretched, with softly rounded outer corners. In proportions, it resembles Impact or Compacta.
The main feature of the wordmark is a semi-transparent gray Formstripe inside or across the letters. It starts at the lower part of the letter U and runs diagonally upward to the right across the entire word. Its slightly lighter tone creates a sense of layers and depth, while the wordmark remains unified.
Above the word on the right is the familiar silhouette of a leaping puma, unchanged. The body is stretched, the legs are directed forward, and the tail is raised. This version connected the text and the symbol in a new way and was used during the brand’s growth and international market expansion.
1988 – today
The current Puma logo continues the style established earlier. Compared to the 1980 version, the gray Formstripe was removed from the wordmark. The mark now contains only the black word PUMA, set in the same dense uppercase typeface. The letters are sans serif, with straight verticals and softly rounded outer corners.
The silhouette of the leaping puma has been used without changes since the early 1980s.
Font and Colors
It’s quite logical that the Puma emblem represents the silhouette of this predatory animal. The creature is depicted leaping, underscoring the sports-clothing-and-footwear manufacturer’s primary goal: promoting an active lifestyle. The trademark on tags and products reflects this idea perfectly, as the Puma is incredibly fast: it can reach record speeds when running. Artists paid attention to details, depicting ears, tails, paws, and smooth body contours.
The modern font used on the Puma logo was introduced in 1974. Designers specially developed it for this company, taking a strict, bold grotesque as a model. Later, this font served as the basis for the free sans-serif font family My Puma, created by Samuel Park.
The monochromatic palette enhances the logo’s minimalism. The standard color scheme uses only black and white, but there are versions with a bright red shade that effectively highlights the drawing and inscription.