Julien Alfred has long been the pride of Saint Lucia, but this weekend, the island’s golden girl proved that her impact reaches far beyond the track. She brought glory back home with a bronze medal in the 100m dash at the Tokyo World Championships. However, it was truly disheartening to see her withdraw from the 200m race due to injury, right after finishing the 100m in 10.84 seconds. Still, her commitment to the sport spoke volumes when she auctioned her signed spikes from the 2025 World Championships.

Alfred listed her signed custom Puma spikes — the same pair she wore during the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo — for her Foundation Auction event in her hometown. The auction was part of the exclusive ‘Julien and Friends’ event, where the Olympic gold medalist hosted workshops, open Q&A sessions, and inspirational activities both on and off the track. Running from October 6 to 11, 2025, the event’s highlight quickly became Alfred’s signed spikes following the auction.

The reason? They sold for an astonishing $75,000! Alfred’s partnership with Puma may have also contributed to the high bid. The brand welcomed the Saint Lucian sprinter to its roster in 2023, and she was one of the key reasons the evoSPEED TOKYO NITRO spikes gained traction in the fitness community. Weighing in on the collaboration, she once said, “PUMA’s got that legendary rep. Together, we’re going to crush it—on the track and beyond.”

The auction not only underscored Alfred’s growing global influence but also reinforced her legacy as a symbol of perseverance and excellence. Her rise over the past two seasons has been nothing short of meteoric. She stormed to Olympic gold in the women’s 100m at the 2024 Paris Games and followed it up with a strong showing at the 2025 World Athletics Championships — where, despite finishing with bronze, she continued to inspire.

These achievements laid the foundation for the Julien Alfred Foundation to empower and uplift the next generation. But let’s keep the focus on Alfred’s custom spikes, shall we?

A closer look at Julien Alfred’s custom Puma spikes

While Puma’s evoSPEED spikes are mass-produced, elite athletes — especially brand ambassadors — often receive custom-made pairs for major competitions. For Alfred, Puma incorporated NITRO foam into her spikes to enhance bounce and added Pebax plates to improve stride efficiency. The customization was fine-tuned to her needs, helping her maximize performance in a sport where even 0.01 seconds can make all the difference.

Puma’s track and field boss, Jose Van der Veen, explained that athletes like Alfred are instrumental in testing prototypes. He noted, “We tweak the heck out of them.” Her evoSPEEDs were designed to give her a stronger start and maintain top-end speed throughout her races.

For Alfred, the auction night transformed her on-track success into tangible social impact. For Saint Lucia, it strengthened the nation’s growing momentum in sports development. And for countless young athletes watching, it showed that a pair of spikes can carry far more than speed — they can carry legacy.

But what do you think of Alfred’s custom spikes selling for $75K? Do you believe they could have gone even higher? Let’s keep the conversation flowing in the comments below.