The Puma Clyde Made in Japan Clydezilla is a special-edition look at one of Puma’s most iconic silhouettes, elevated through premium construction and a true retro lens. This pair is part of a small pack and serves as a near-direct callback to the original Clydezilla releases from 2006, updated subtly for a modern audience.
The Puma Clyde itself traces back to 1973, when it debuted as the signature sneaker for New York Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier—making it one of the first true NBA signature shoes. The model is a close relative of the Puma Suede, but with its own tweaks, including the absence of Puma branding on the heel tab. “Clydezilla” refers to the Made in Japan iterations tied to Puma’s Monster Pack lineage, known for higher-quality construction, a slightly sleeker European-shaped last, and special details like the MIJ tag on the inner tongue. While the original 2006 versions featured numbered Kanji characters down the heel, this retro keeps things cleaner without that detail.
I’d been wanting a pair of Clydes for a while and also wanted to add another Made in Japan sneaker to the collection, so spotting these on Shoebacca for around $50 shipped felt like stealing. The black and neon color combo really sold it for me—it’s bold, clean, and feels perfectly suited to this silhouette.
The shoes come in a special black Made in Japan box and include neon green laces installed, along with a spare set of white laces for a more toned-down look.
Materials
As expected from a Made in Japan Puma release, the materials are excellent. You get extremely nice suede throughout the upper, a straightforward leather formstrip, and a leather liner that adds to the overall premium feel. It’s a simple construction, but very well executed, and absolutely worth it—especially at well under retail.
Fit & Comfort
Fit is roomy at true to size, aided by the leather lining and relatively thin overall profile. Comfort-wise, this is very much an old-school sneaker—the tooling is dated, and it’s not something I’d wear all day. That said, it’s perfectly fine for a few hours of casual wear, and it looks great on foot when you’re just chilling rather than putting in serious miles.
If these are sold out at different stores online, you can try looking for them on eBay.
Colorway: Black / Lime Smash
Style Code: 390085-02
Retail Price: $180
Year of Release: 2023