[Image: Hype Magazine]
Named after the Italian word for monster, the sneaker stomped onto the scene in 1999, instantly earning cult status with its unapologetically bold, boundary-smashing design. It was the perfect visual chaos for a world on the brink of Y2K meltdown.
Fast-forward to today, and the beast is back, louder, weirder, and more desirable than ever. After popping off at New York Fashion Week and shaking the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week in January 2025, Mostro has become the new religion for fashion futurists.
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With limited drops and feverishly hunted collabs, the cult keeps growing, and the monster keeps mutating.
Then came the takeover: Puma’s invite-only descent into the Castle of Good Hope. No red carpet, no velvet ropes—just a portal straight into the belly of a living, breathing creature. Guests weren’t entering a venue, they were being swallowed whole. Think dystopian lab meets a techno-dreamscape, soaked in an atmosphere that was equal parts sinister and seductive. Welcome to the Mostroverse.
Markus Wormstorm, Ivan Turanjanin and Athi Maq brought the noise, literally. Their sonic landscape transformed the space into an audio hallucination where minimalism flirted shamelessly with tech, and time bent itself between retro flashbacks and future shock.
At the core of the beast? The mind. And not just any mind, the “Room of Refraction,” a startlingly surreal creation by Cape Town’s own Inka Kendzia. This installation was like a sentient organism with reactive lights, laser beams, and ambient pulse, all breathing in sync. Cameras, embedded in shrink-wrapped sneakers hanging like sci-fi chandeliers, fed distorted guest reflections back into warped projections. You weren’t watching the monster. You were the monster.
And because this wasn’t your average product drop, it didn’t stop there. Brave souls entered the Room of Reflection—a wild, high-gloss dental lab fantasy—where they could score actual tooth gems, installed under clinical lights by lab-coated artists. Because what’s a monster without a little bling in its bite? Guests could also snag flash tattoos courtesy of Palm Black Tattoo studio, or trick out their kicks with studs, gems and laces at the sneaker surgery station.
The Castle’s old-school water fountain was completely reimagined as a swirling cinematic beast scene. With mirrors, rolling smoke and Mostro tentacles hoisting the logo into the mist like some kind of brand idol, it was the photo moment to end all photo moments.
And yes, even the snacks were unhinged in the best possible way. Studio H dialled the menu into mad-scientist mode: black sourdough cracker stacks with neon hummus, bao buns oozing sticky soy lion’s mane, and noir-on-noir desserts like black and silver sesame shortbread with marshmallow. Drinks were served in IV-style serum bags, because obviously.
Let’s not forget: the Mostro’s DNA is a glorious hybrid—part ‘60s sprint spike, part ‘80s surf rebel. When it first launched in ‘99, it was a middle finger to mainstream sneaker design, and it hasn’t mellowed one bit. Loved by style anarchists and futurist freaks alike, it looked like it landed from another dimension—and honestly, it still does.
Celebs even worship at the altar of Mostro. From Madonna to Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna to ASAP Rocky (whose freakishly cool 3d-printed Mostro was proudly on display), the monster’s got pedigree. No longer a shadow-dweller, it’s now a front-row regular.
Paying homage to its freaky fabulous history, the Mostro Lab gave guests a chance to drool over golden oldies like the 2005 metallic gold Mostro Alto Boot, plus wild new incarnations including the Mostro OG, Mostro Ecstasy, Mostro Camo, Mostro Mesh, Mostro Perf, Mostro Fey, UR Mostro, and Mostro Boot Leather. If you didn’t find your flavour, you weren’t looking hard enough.
In the lead-up to all this madness, Puma set up a sleek Seeding Lounge at Milck Studio in Woodstock—an exclusive design den for the lucky few to preview the newest drops and flex-worthy Puma apparel.
“The uniqueness of Mostro provided an ideal opportunity for Puma to create an unforgettable experience merging sneaker culture with fashion and design,” said Brett Bellinger, Puma South Africa Marketing Director.
“The bold and attention-grabbing Mostro appeals to trend enthusiasts. Those creative expressionists who keep evolving, who like to keep their look current and are never afraid to stand out. These pioneers of play are innovators, unafraid to make bold, trend-setting style statements.”
Although you might have missed the cool Mostroverse event last weekend, that doesn’t mean you can’t bag a pair of Mostro sneakers for your day-to-day.
Shop yours at Puma.com.
[Source: Bizcommunity]
