Gumball 3000 rally inspires shoe design from race sponsor

Puma have capitalized on their relationship with the glamorous Gumball 3000 rally by re-designing the SL Street sneaker in honor of the race.

The PUMA + Gumball Limited Edition SL Street is expected to retail at $100 in selected Puma stores and from the Journeys.com specialist shoe retailer. Just as with last year's footwear tie-in, the shoe isn't expected to be released until about half way through the seven day event.

The design takes inspiration from the glitzy supercars that take part in the annual 3,000 mile international road race.

This year's procession, beginning May 1, will see over 100 entrants leave London and attempt to pass through checkpoints in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Stockholm (Sweden), before flying to Boston, USA, before hopping north of the border to Quebec City and Vancouver in Canada and the finish line in New York.

Started in 1999 by British entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper, the Gumball 3000 styles itself as a rally rather than a road race, but that hasn't prevented numerous participants from racking up speeding tickets, fines, and even overnight stays in police cells due to their high speed antics.

The annual event has also successfully aligned itself with high-end lifestyle brands, as not only car manufacturers such as Bugatti, Mini, and Morgan stand to gain from the exposure, but also iPhone accessory firms, sunglasses manufacturers, and the contants themselves stand to gain from the exposure.