Reebok Pump

Reebok Pump is a line of athletic shoes that was first released on November 24, 1989, by Reebok.[1] It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism that regulated a unique fitting cushion in the lower and upper tongue to provide locking around the ankle.[2]

History

In 1988, Reebok acquired tennis and ski brand Ellesse, along with its developmental technology including a inflatable tongue in a ski boot developed by Ellesse's founder, Leonardo Servadio. Reebok CEO Paul Fireman created an internal innovation team called Reebok Advanced Concepts, that brought the inflatable bladder design to a partnership with Design Continuum, an industrial design firm, to develop a shoe that used inflatable chambers that pump up for a custom fit, the Reebok Pump.[2][3][4] A demo version of the Pump, a customizable inflatable/deflatable high-top shoe, was exhibited at the Sporting Goods Manufacturers' Association in February 1989.[2][4] On November 24, 1989, the first Reebok Pump was released.[1][4] That month, Dominique Wilkins was featured on a television commercial introducing the Reebok Pump. Reebok released the Omni Zone, Twilight Zone and the SXT Pump in 1990.[4] That year, Michael Chang's Court Victory Pumps was launched.[1]

In February 1991, Dee Brown inflated his Reebok Pumps in front of a national audience before scoring a title-winning dunk during the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.[3] That year, Pump expanded into cross-training, off-road, golf, walking, aerobics and running shoes.[4] The unreleased NES video game Drac's Night Out would have featured Reebok Pumps as an in-game power-up as part of a sponsorship deal between Reebok and game publisher Parker Brothers.[5] Fullfoot, midfoot, collar, arch, footbed and Dual Chamber support was offered at the time.[2] The pump technology was patented as USPTO #5113599 in May 1992.[3] That year, Shaquille O'Neal was given his own pair of pumps.[3] The Pump Graphlite, a running shoe endorsed by Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson was released in 1992.[4] That year, the film Juice included a montage of Omar Epps' character trying on different Reebok Pumps before meeting up with Tupac.[1] The Blacktop Model was released in 1991. In 1994, Reebok partnered with Above the Rim, an American drama directed by Jeff Pollack and Tupac to create a full line of shoes named after the movie.[1] In the same year, the Instapump Fury was launched.[2]

John Cena wore Pumps as part of his old-school hip hop gimmick in 2004. During the NBA All-Star weekend in 2005, Reebok introduced the ATR (Above the Rim) Pump.[6] Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, Steve Francis, Baron Davis and Jerome Williams showcased the ATR Pump during the NBA All-Star Game 2005.[6] In April 2005, the Pump 2.0 was launched.[7] The following year, Allen Iverson's The Answer IX featured the Pump Auto/Off Smart Valve. The system automatically engaged or deactivated depending on performance needs. The Reebok Pump X MLB, an edition paying homage to Shea Stadium and the Yankee Stadium was released in 2008. Reebok released an original reproduction of The Fury in its 'Black/Citron/Red' colorway and 27 additional collaborative design versions of the shoe for its 20th anniversary in 2014.[8] In September 2014, the Keith Haring x Reebok Classic "Crack is Wack" collection Pumps, named after the 1986 mural, were released.[9] That month, the Reebok Court Victory Pump was re-released.[10]

Collaborations

From 2007 to 2009 Reebok partnered with ALIFE to create shoe designs.[11] Reebok's retro program has collaborated with Rolland Berry, John Maeda, the Commonwealth store in Virginia, Boston's own Bodega, Ubiq in Philadelphia and Atmos in Tokyo.[2] Reebok also worked with Orchard St, a New York-based retailer, to create a design for the Reebok Pump Omni Hex Ride.[2] In March 2014, Reebok collaborated with sneaker retailer Limited Edt to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the InstaPump Fury.[12]

External links

• "Inside the rise and fall of the iconic Reebok Pump on its 30th birthday" from ESPN (November 24, 2019)
• Reebok Pumps It Up a Notch from ESPN (November 12, 2004)