One of the most recognised football boots in the game – the PUMA King – celebrates its 40th birthday in 2008 and the Brisbane Lions are joining in the party.

The PUMA King boot was first introduced in 1968 as the ‘King Eusébio’ after the legendary Eusébio da Silva Ferreira. The Portuguese international soccer player led all scorers with nine goals at the 1966 World Cup and then worked with PUMA to develop a signature football boot which debuted just two years later.

The PUMA King was born. It featured increased ankle protection, soft and subtle leather and exceptional ball control. The appeal of the King and the marketing around it was so powerful that consumers were no longer purchasing just a product – but a state of mind and sporting image.

Over the years, the King became legend and was worn by legends as well. The world’s greatest football stars wore the King including Eusébio, Pele, Maradona, Deschamps and Johan Cruyff.

In Australia it has graced the feet of many iconic football stars such as Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall and Lions legend Michael Voss. It became synonymous with reliability and success, selling millions of pairs over the past four decades.

The PUMA King boot remains a popular choice of footwear among Brisbane Lions players including stars Simon Black, Luke Power and Jed Adcock. The trio of Lion ‘kings’ are proud exponents of the famous shoe brand.

“I feel privileged to have worn a football boot with as much history and tradition as the PUMA King”, Lions midfielder Adcock said. “They have been my preferred choice of boot since I started my football career – so I am kind of sentimentally attached to them.”

“I just hope that I can do the boot as much justice as the array of sporting stars that have worn it over the past 40 years.”

Senior Business Unit Manager of Teamsport, PUMA Filip Trullson believes that no other brand of football boot shares the same history as the PUMA King. “It is a truly iconic shoe that has become a brand unto itself,” Trullson said. “We look forward to celebrating the PUMA King’s 40th birthday throughout 2008.”

In May 2008, the King was re-launched worldwide with a limited edition collection to celebrate its 40th birthday and will be worn on-field at Euro 2008 by Italy’s Massimo Oddo and Germany’s Thomas Hitzlsperger.

Highlights from the King collection

The PUMA King XL (XL stands for the Roman numeral ‘40’) boot stands for quality, heritage and tradition. The newest edition includes classic lines and traditional styling but with updated materials, enhanced features and new design details.

With a raised bead line, toe overlay and a lateral stability insert inspired by the Eusebio boot 40 years ago, the new King XL is executed with today’s best production technology. Super-soft, ultra-thin, full-grain leather is complemented by a high-density silicon heel counter and conical firm ground stud construction for optimal stability and maneuverability.

The upper section is embossed with the leaping cat logo on the vamp and King logo on the lateral side – with the limited edition version featuring an ‘Eusébio 68’ signature.

The limited edition collection will launch in specially selected stores in June/July 2008 with the more traditional black-white-gold and white-black colourations hitting retailers globally later this year.

PUMA King XL Limited Edition boot – RRP $300

PUMA® is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA’s unique industry perspective delivers the unexpected in sportlifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, through technical innovation and revolutionary design. Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, PUMA distributes products in over 80 countries. For further information please visit www.puma.com and www.pumafootball.com