Two of the best things in the world – food and trainers.
It sounds like a laddy cliché thing to say, but it’s true, in a world that is getting seemingly more and more complex, few things will offer you dopamine-induced salvation in the way that a good meal or a new pair of trainers will.
Can you imagine, then, the dopamine-induced salvation you could experience if you combined the two?
We’re not talking about shoes made of lasagne sheets here, stay with us – we’re talking about a collaboration between a shoe manufacturer, retailer and a restaurant.
The shoe manufacturer in this case is PUMA, the retailer, END. and the restaurant is the recently turned 30-years-old, East London Turkish restaurant, Mangal II.
You’re probably pretty familiar with the first two businesses in the equation, but in case you’ve not been enlightened about the delicacies of Mangal II yet, here’s some background information…
Founded by Ali Dirik, Mangal II has been a stalwart in London’s food scene since 1994, serving up hearty authentic Turkish cuisine from their Dalston restaurant to everyone from locals to those travelling from afar in search of the finest kebab outside of Türkiye.
As you’d expect for a restaurant that serves such authentic cuisine, many notable figures have passed through Mangal II’s doors, and as of this year, the rapper-turned-food-icon, Action Bronson, was added to this list as he indulged in all manners of meat as a part of his London Food Tour YouTube series.
Ever since watching the video in which Mangal II made a cameo, the person writing this has desperately wanted to wallow in the Turkish delights served up there, and a few weeks ago this dream came true, well sort of…
Myself and a few other Proper employees found ourselves wandering the streets of Dalston, hampered with the most insatiable appetites, we’d heard whispers of the mythical Mangal II, but were told by a reputable source that actually, the original Mangal was just as good, and didn’t require a booking.
We marched out of Mangal changed men, and I can truthfully say it was the best Turkish food I’ve experienced in recent memory.
Anyway, before I make myself any hungrier, lets talk about the collaboration…
The canvas for this joint endeavour is the PUMA Suede, a shoe as timeless as meat cooked over charcoal. The silhouette has been dowsed in references to Mangal, including a royal blue suede, indicative of the restaurant’s iconic exterior, and a golden foil on the heel displays its signature hallmark. This detailing is accompanied by ’94’ on the right heel, proudly honouring the year of the restaurant’s inception.
For the campaign, END. and PUMA have taken Ali’s two sons, Ferhat and Sertaç, back to their motherland, Anatolia in West Türkiye, to retrace the steps of their family’s ancestry, in turn uncovering the inspiration that their father took with him to London back in 1987.
This collaboration impressively hits all of the right spots – PUMA and END. have had a near-impossible task in creating a shoe that is as mouth-watering as the delights served up by Mangal, but they’ve come pretty close.
Only 300 pairs of the limited-edition trainers are to be released, launching online through END. Launches on Friday 29th November 2024.
