I’ve been to Seoul before, but never like this. Puma flew i-D out for the launch of its H-Street sneaker—a low-profile, Y2K-era runner reissued for 2025’s nostalgia-tinged streetwear landscape, where the ’fit check matters as much as the footbed.
Upon arrival, I was immediately reminded that gimbap is the most perfect food ever invented. After checking into my hotel in Jongno, I walked straight to the nearest convenience store and bought three rolls. Rice, pickled radish, Spam (love her), seaweed—it understands my basic needs. But I digress. We’re here for sneakers.
Our group was escorted to the Mondrian Hotel for the official welcome, surrounded by writers with takes, editors with taste, and creators armed with ring lights for “organic” content. The venue: a chandelier-lit basement that felt like a scene from a moody indie film. Just crisp brewskis, fruity wine, and a room full of people politely over-analyzing each other’s sneakers. Spoiler: they were all wearing Pumas!
But Puma didn’t just bring us to Seoul to vibe—we were here for a reason. The H-Street silhouette, originally a performance runner from the early 2000s, is the latest subject of Puma’s Future Archives series, which pulls from the brand’s extensive history of weird, wonderful, and technically overdesigned footwear.
“This was a natural progression,” said Christina Mirabelli, Puma’s global marketing director. “We’ve done the work with models like Speedcat and Mostro. The H-Street keeps that archive energy going—it’s true to the DNA, but it’s also just… really wearable.”
Head of select, Gregor Abenstein, put it more bluntly: “It’s lightweight, it’s a summer shoe, and the green just pops. Not for everyone. But maybe that’s the point.” That green hits like a highlighter on a clean white page—loud, playful, and entirely unmissable. The neon mesh pops against slick metallic silver paneling, giving the whole silhouette a kind of bratty futurism that feels equal parts Y2K track star and 2025 main character. It’s giving Brat Summer resurgence, neon rebellion, and probably a few DM replies. Bonus: they’re featherlight. Like, “forget-you’re-wearing-them” light.
The main event was held at Layer 41, a warehouse that Puma converted into a multi-floor sneaker fantasia. There were delicious cakes and drinks, nail art stations, customization labs, and an exhibition space by Inside Tag, showcasing everything from archival track spikes to futuristic collabs. Oh—and a graffiti-adorned booth for getting that cute pic (or reel) just right.
Inside Tag’s George Roberts, who curated the exhibit, gave us a walkthrough of the shoes that led to H-Street. “This one?” he said, pointing to a pristine 1966 spike. “Found it on eBay. £30.” Roberts talked about outsoles like they were abstract art and made a strong case that Puma’s best work has always been below the ankle. “They really overthought the bottoms,” he said with affection. “That’s the magic.”
At one point in the trip, I met Rosé. Yes, that Rosé—from Blackpink. She’s the global face of the H-Street campaign and somehow even more captivating in person. She arrived smiling, styled, and speaking in a soft, deliberate rhythm that could soothe small animals and maybe a few fashion executives.
When I asked for Seoul recommendations, Rosé lit up. “You should walk around and find some cute shops. And cute restaurants. Just explore and find cute things,” she said, repeating cute with such delight it started to sound like a mantra. I found it oddly touching—especially considering I wasn’t sure when she last had the luxury to just walk around. We had a laugh about wearing the same H-Streets. We touched shoes. She smiled. I briefly forgot what year it was. And when her team gently tried to cut me off, Rosé kindly insisted I finish my questions. She was generous, funny, genuinely warm—and yes, I have a crush.
That evening, Puma hosted a party back at Layer 41, now reimagined as a multiverse of DJs, projections, and dancing. The music was curated by Ring Seoul, who know exactly what BPM to hit when everyone’s trying to pretend they’re not checking their own tagged photos.
On the last night, the after-after circuit began. Following a delicious BBQ feast, we found ourselves at Devil, a bar where you pay once and drink forever. Everyone got loose. No one was discussing outsole technology—but someone (me) definitely ordered a third round of tequila shots with misplaced confidence.
It was going well until we went to karaoke and an influencer paused mid-verse during “Since U Been Gone,” saying she “couldn’t hear her own voice.” (To be fair, I was singing loudly—badly, but with heart.) She laughed, eventually reclaimed the mic, and the night carried on with the usual mix of chaos and charm.
We didn’t stay out until sunrise. We weren’t that reckless. But we also didn’t return to our rooms in a state that screamed “early meeting ready.” Still, isn’t that the point of a trip like this? Travel somewhere new, make some memories, leave with cute sneakers.
The H-Street might not be for everyone. It’s weird. It’s retro. It’s light enough to forget you’re wearing it until someone compliments it. But it’s also unapologetically itself—and that kind of sums up this entire trip. Puma’s not trying to be cool. It’s just getting better at knowing who it’s cool for.
