A white sole reads new and a gum sole reads used, and that difference is why this shoe works. The puma palermo vintage in Chocolate Brown and Gum and in Apple Spritz and Gum both lean on that contrast, and the Palermo Leather in White, Vapor Gray and Gum does the same in a cleaner upper. The Palermo Moda Xtra Gum in Vibrant Blue and Lemon is the loudest version of the formula. Terrace sneakers were originally plain European trainers that British football fans adopted in the 1980s, which is why the low-profile silhouette and the gum outsole read as authentic rather than styled. Puma has resisted the urge to modernise the proportion, which is the correct decision.

The original terrace shoes were suede and that texture is most of the appeal, giving a matte surface that scuffs into character. The Palermo Leather versions, both the women's and the standard, swap that for a smooth finish that reads sharper and holds shape longer. The Palermo Cherry Blues and the Palermo Faded Denim in Pale Plum and Blue Crystal are the most colour-driven pieces in the group. The plain PUMA Palermo in Black is the quietest and the most versatile. Suede is the more historically correct choice and leather is the more practical one, which is a trade that shows up in every archival sneaker revival.

This is one of the better sneaker revivals of recent years because the shoe was genuinely good and genuinely overlooked rather than simply old. The Chocolate Brown and Gum is the best-looking version and the one that works with the widest range of trousers. The plain black is the most useful and the least interesting. The leather versions will stay presentable longer and lose the matte quality that makes the suede versions appealing. The Moda Xtra and Cherry Blues are more fashion-dependent and will feel dated sooner. If you take one thing away, it is that the gum sole and the suede upper are the shoe, and a Palermo in smooth leather with a white sole is a different and lesser proposition.