The iconic Adidas running shoe might have been better suited for athletic endeavors, but when it came to style, few running shoes had the fashionable fortitude of Pumas. With their suede top and streaming swirl, they not only rivaled Adidas in sales, but were also the result of a family rivalry between two brothers, each vying to make the best-selling running shoe on the market – and for a time anyway, Pumas edged their way into the lead position.

The Dassler brothers, Rudy and Adolf, introduced Adidas shoes to the world at the beginning of the 20th century to much success. When their relationship soured over the years, Rudi decided to engage in a little not-so-friendly competition in 1948 and introduced his own brand of running shoe called Puma. Thanks to an endorsement from iconic basketball player, Walt Frazier, of the New York Knicks, the shoe inherited his nickname “Clyde” and soon after, what became known as Puma Clydes were outselling Adidas shoes and intensifying an already heated competition between the two shoe-making siblings.

Whereas Adidas were clearly the better shoe, performance-wise, offering superior traction and tread, the Puma had style going for it. Once kids got a gander of the suede atop the rubber soles and the nifty logo akin to the Nike swoosh, they became the cooler, hipper shoe to wear. Unfortunately, by the time the 80s rolled around, brands such as Nike, Fila, Reebok and Adidas had once again commandeered the market and the Pumas quickly lost ground in the foot race. Rudi’s son sold the company in 1989 and within a few years, the German factory that produces Pumas was shut down.

But by the end of the 90s, the feline-named footwear was ready to take another lap. As fashionable teens embraced the look of the Puma, a new market emerged for the retro running shoe and Puma was prompted to re-release the iconic Clyde for a new generation. And a modern celebrity endorsement by the likes of tennis star, Serena Williams, didn’t hurt either. Of course, this renewed popularity shouldn’t really surprise anyone – after all, everyone knows that a cat has nine lives.