How White Castle's Sliders Inspired Puma's New Sneakers

In 1921, the world welcomed White Castle and its "five-cent, small, square hamburgers so easy to eat they were dubbed sliders," per the chain's website. In addition to being the world's first fast food hamburger chain, says Business Insider, White Castle also pioneered the concept of carry-out, selling its famous sliders by the sackful. These miniature burgers, packed with beef fat and juices, are actually steam grilled rather than seared and flipped, as steaming the patties over a bed of onions helps seal in extra flavor and keep their shape intact.

Although you can always order the original, White Castle also offers countless other slider creations. Want to switch out the burger patty for fish, chicken, or the more breakfast-appropriate eggs and bacon? Go for it! Plus, you can flaunt your affinity for sliders with non-edible items, like all the White Castle-inspired mugs, planters, bobble heads, and even ugly holiday sweaters available online (via WDRB). For sneaker lovers, though, this newest product from Puma may take the cake (or bun).

If you're in the market for shoes that evoke the appearance a cheeseburger, White Castle and Puma have you covered. According to a press release sent to Mashed, the two brands have partnered up to launch a limited-edition, sliders-inspired pair of sneakers called the Puma x White Castle RS-X. With a beige, orange, brown, and green color scheme dubbed "mocha bisque-sunflower," they really do look like hamburgers. They're available for $120 on the Puma website and at Puma, Champs Sports, and Foot Locker stores.

Besides their coloring, the shoes feature a few other references to the burger chain, including a White Castle logo on the back, the "What you Crave" slogan on the tongue, and a small 5-cent symbol that nods to the original price of the sliders. Beneath your toes is an onion-patterned footbed. If you buy them, you won't be the first customer to own a White Castle-Puma collaboration piece. Footwear News says the two teamed up in 2021 on a line of sneakers, hoodies, shorts, and T-shirts in honor of White Castle's 100th anniversary. However, those blue and white shoes were a bit more understated, so this new launch may blow those out of the fryer among burger fans — and give toe cheese a whole new meaning.