The Easy Rider was Puma's road-running shoe for the jogging boom of the 1970s. Released in 1977, it was developed with San Jose State coach Don Riggs over about three years of testing, according to Sneaker Freaker, and Puma says it marked several steps forward in running design.
Its features included a raised wedge midsole to support the Achilles and reduce fatigue, a wider reinforced shank for arch support, heel counters for stability and a flexible forefoot. The plain silhouette was taken up by British football casuals in the 1970s and 80s, who followed their teams around Europe in hard-to-find trainers.
Its place in fashion history came in 1998, when Jil Sander combined the upper of the Puma King with the Easy Rider's sole to make a lifestyle sneaker. Puma's timeline credits that shoe with merging sport and fashion for the first time and opening the sport-lifestyle market. Puma brought the shoe back in January 2024 as the Easy Rider Vintage, first in a “Glacial Gray” colourway sold through Bodega, Atmos and Sneakersnstuff.