Puma Lazio Home 08/09

The double layer craze of the 2002 World Cup is back, this time it's Puma who have decided to create headaches for heat press operators around the world! Remember back in Japan during the 2002 World Cup final when one of the Brazilians couldn't figure out how to put his two layer shirt back on? Well Puma has actually come up with a double-layer shirt that is easy to pull back on without needing assistance from the kit manager.

The jersey features a top layer that is mesh and a softer interior layer which are then attached together along the neck line as well as along the bottom hem. More on that shortly. There are three Puma cat logos on the shirt: one on the chest opposite the team badge, and on each shoulder. They are made of rubber, which is actually a nice alternative to the standard embroidery or heat transfer.

The concept of the jersey is to have two independent layers to maximize air circulation and moisture control. Uh... right. Anyways, it actually is pretty comfortable to wear as the interior layer is pretty soft and light. Along the bottom of the hem there is an opening which is there to facilitate printing on the jersey. For a detailed description of how that works, click here to check out our Print Room section.

The back panel of the jersey is fabric, not mesh, and is connected to the mesh layer using a technique called thermal bonding. Basically, it's glued together much the same way names and numbers are applied to a shirt using heat and pressure to make the bond. The theory is that without the stitching you can make the shirt lighter. It's all about performance! There might just be some truth to it, Italy did with the World Cup in a thermal bonded Puma shirt. Above is a detailed picture of the hem line along the bottom of the back panel where it connects to the mesh. Look Ma! No stitches!

The SS Lazio club badge is embroidered, and that is probably the heaviest component of the jersey.

All in all we give this shirt our stamp of approval. It's got a classic look to it which probably is enhanced by the fact that there is no sponsor logo across the front, but while being simple it also has the double layer factor going on. We also would like to go on record as being the first to come up with the idea of triple-layer shirts for those cold European winter night matches. You know that's gotta be coming soon!

Puma King XL i FG

The Puma King, synonymous with soccer tradition. Pele and Maradona both wore Puma when they made history at the World Cup. In fact, Pele was offered $120,000 to wear Puma's footwear in the 1970 World Cup, where he famously held up kick off to the final match so he could bend down and tie his shoes. Product placement at it's finest.

Puma has come through with this updated version of the shoe, and in our opinion it's a winner. The upper is a full-grain soft leather keeping with the traditional feel and look of the Puma King line. Close your eyes and you'd think you're holding a dress shoe. The leather is that good.

Nice touch on the contrasting stitching along the side of the shoe. Definitely gives the shoe that elegant detail which is appropriate for the quality of the upper. The outsole is your traditional molded round studs. On the heel there is some cool Roman numerals, and of course nothing says "heritage" like a semi-obsolete numeric system! After looking this up on google though, it appears MCMLXVIII converts to 1968. We were initially excited that this was in homage to President Lyndon Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, but later found out that in fact 1968 was the year Puma released it's first version of the King. How about that? Hold on to your hats, the XL in the shoe's name actually means "40" as in, 40th anniversary! And we thought it was in reference to livin' large or something.

Order today and we'll throw in this bonus leather and nylon carrying case! This offer is not available in stores, so call today! Woops, this offer actually is available in our store. Each pair of Puma King XL's comes with a shoe bag.

So that's the new Puma King XL, available now at OnionBag.com for the low price of $CLXIX.XCV. Or $169.95 to you non-romans. Click here to buy now.