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Happy 20th Birthday! The Best Moments In Reebok Pump History

intern — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:32:24 +0000

Remember the Pump? A lot of people talk about begging their Moms for Jordans, but in a lot of areas, the Reebok Pump held as much cache as any sneaker on the market. Sneakerheads who “really lived it” may contest, but hop in a time machine to 1992 and ask any second grader what sneakers they want, and you’ll get a 50/50 split.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the sneaker that had everyone pressing the air-filled basketball before sporting events, stunting in the lunch room, or just plain wasting time pretending to talk to girls. The Reebok brand is investing heavily on bringing the sneaker back with a series of new releases, and you know what? It just may work, because the sneaker has history. Hit the jump and take a walk through the Pump’s best moments…

NOVEMBER 20TH, 1989: DOMINIQUE WILKINS INTRODUCESTHE REEBOK PUMP
• “Pump up and Air Out!” November 20, 1989 started the Reebok Pump reign. Not only did the shoe look unconventional, but the pump-up aspect was something that no one had ever seen before. The first series of commercials were heavy on the anti-Nike tip, with Dominique Wilkins asking “Mike” to come Pump up on primetime TV. Craze.

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1990: REEBOK COURT VICTORY IS INTRODUCED
• Shots fired! Tennis star from the early 90s, Michael Chang made it clear to Nike who he was riding with en route to becoming a top ranked tennis player. Chang’s Pumps that hit over a decade ago have since been retro’ed. Who knew a tennis player could be so badass on the international stage? Dude straight up bitched Agassi.

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1990: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE PRESENTS “NIKEY TURKEY”
• In this SNL parody of the sneaker, Chris Rock and Co, pumped up a turkey, as a take-off on RBK’s commercials. Was this saying the pump was unnecessary and silly? We can’t tell. To be honest, this sketch wasn’t that funny, but hey, it was further proof of the pop-culture status of this awesome little piece of footwear.

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1991: DEE BROWN WINS SLAM DUNK CONTEST WITH THE NO LOOK
• This is where things really picked up. In the ‘91 dunk contest Dee Brown reached down and pumped up his Omni-Lites, the camera got a close-up, and he went on to pull one of the most famous dunks in sports history. So. Sick.

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1993: REEBOK RELEASES THE BLACKTOP MODEL
• The Blacktops were hot, but come on fams, what’s with the fat guys? Is this the first “lifestyle” sneaker commercial? Haha. Welcome to the terradome!

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EARLY 90’s: REEBOK PUMP’S BANNED BUNGEE JUMP COMMERCIAL
• Now this is the commercial they should have put out. PC-Dude vs Mac-Justin Long ain’t got shit on this! For that matter, neither does the Red Bull Extreme Team.

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1991: THE PUMP GOES INTO “OTHER SPORTS”
• The marketing behind this was genius. How do you take the brand further? That’s easy, expand your horizons! White man can’t jump? No problem, he’ll skate his ass off in these things.

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2001: JOHN CENA WEARING THE PUMPS
• Who doesn’t like to Pump their Reeboks before they kick some ass? John Cena later got his own American Flag looking Reeboks but that’s as far as we go on jokes here. Two reason’s A) We’re Celebrating Reebok Pumps and B) We’re kinda scared of John Cena.

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‘03: REEBOK SIGNS YAO MING
• The big friendly giant signed with Reebok in ‘03. Reebok was thinking smart. It was as if they took their two best spokesmen and mixed them into one. They got the size of Shaq and the international Asian charm of Michael Chang. There’s no way Yao could fail, especially with this awesome bigger-than-life Daft Punk advert, and of course his pumps.

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‘06: ALLEN IVERSON’S THE ANSWER IX FEAT PUMP TECHNOLOGY
• AI’s kicks feature the Pump Auto/Off Smart Valve that allow the pump system to automatically engage or deactivate depending on performance needs-please keep it turned on when he (eventually) signs with the Knicks.

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2007-2009: PUMP COLLABOS
• The pump’s collabo with ALIFE was so dope, and for the first time in years Reeboks were killin’ the sneaker nerds. Not only did it open the doors for other shops and brands to come in, it placed the pump as one of the top sneakers of the decade. Oh and they’re made of that tennis ball felt-y stuff! Win.

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‘08: THE REEBOK PUMP X MLB
• Pump technology made its way into baseball, and we’re not talking about those unreleased baseball gloves. These special editions paid homage to New York’s two historic stadiums. Hey, someone’s got to fuck with the Mets, right? RIP Yankee Stadium, RIP Shea. We got you.

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‘08: THE REEBOK PUMP X AUDET
• The Reebok Pump x Audet gold Omni Lite was leaked online in winter of 2007, and drove the Internets nuts. Unfortunately for a while the only place that Sneakerheads could cop them was in Japan until summer of 08′. It just goes to show you how powerful a good Pump can be (pause?).

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‘09: REEBOK PUMP X ORCHARD STREET
• Known for their illicit custom Nike collaborations, the dudes from downtown New York did work on the Reebok Pump, don’t front. Complex cover star Kid Cudi tried, and got tasered. Keep ‘em coming.

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‘09: 20th ANNIVERSARY COLLABS
• For their two-decade mark, Reebok teamed up with top tier shops around the globe, check the full collection here. We want one of each, if anyone is listening.

Orchard Street for Reebok Fuze 1.0

Joe — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:12:18 +0000

Next month, Reebok keeps the collaborations going with streetwear label Orchard Street with this Fuze 1.0. Back in April, a green colorway of this strap-y silhouette hit the blogs, but this two-toned gray make-up is far better. If you’re wondering where the Fuze 1.0 came from, it’s actually a brand new style in Reebok’s arsenal that OS is getting the first crack at. Want to cop? Check RBK stores around the nation in a few weeks.
$90, www.reebok.com, www.orchardstreetstore.com

Street Detail: Blue Hugh

frederickm — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:56:02 +0000

NAME: Kareem

OCCUPATION: Model/Actor/Emcee/Sales

HOME BASE: Toronto, ON

SUNGLASSES: J. Lindeberg

SHIRT: Gap

JEANS: J. Brand

SNEAKERS: Reebok

WATCH: G-Shock

What is your favorite fall trend? I try not to follow trends and I dress in what makes me feel confident and comfortable.

Must have item for fall? Varsity jacket.

What sneaker style are you rocking this season? Creative Recreation Cesario.

What is a cold weather don’t? Drinking alcohol outside in the cold trust me on this one.

Who is your Halloween costume this year? Hugh Hefner.

Who inspires your style? Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, The Cool Kids, T.I., Kanye West and Pharrell.

Vote on whether this week’s subject is “Stylin” or “Wildin” below…

Most money you ever spent on a single item of clothing? $500 on a Polo Ralph Lauren reversible varsity jacket.

What do you collect? Chess sets, kicks and watches especially G-Shocks.

Favorite brand? Ralph Lauren – not just because we have the same birthday either.

Favorite website? Complex.com! Come on now!!!!

Favorite tech gadget? Playstation 3

What is your dream job? Full time Model and Actor.

Who is your dream date? Amerie or Shakira.

Last book read? Ego Trip’s Book of Rap Lists by Sacha Jenkins.

Trend proof style advice? In the words of the late and great J Dilla, “Do Ya Thang!”
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Want to be featured in our weekly Street Detail blog? Email a head-to-toe picture of yourself to: streetdetail@complex.com

• CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE “STREET DETAIL” POSTS!

Winding Down: Whitney Port Gets Wet

intern — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:23:09 +0000

Whitney Port was caught hitting the beach in Miami this weekend. [Moe Jackson]

Fabolous commissions Drake for the “Throw It In The Bag” remix. [Nah Right]

Stop listening to music on your laptop speakers and get a real system like this Bose Soundlink. [Daily Drop]

These tips will help you avoid being a douche on your next plane ride. [Coed Mag]

You made it through Monday. Now go home and look at these hotties in the wild. [Double Viking]

Kid Cudi talks about The Great Hangover Tour, fashion, and his upcoming album. [Karmaloop TV]

Girls and what their pets really say about them. Finally. [Holy Taco]

Diddy will be making his own band, on the upcoming Making His Band. Clever name. [PopCrunch]

Nice Kicks is giving away a pair of Commonwealth x Reebok Omni Pump Lites. Go put in your bid. [Nice Kicks]

Chris Brown finally gives Rihanna and everyone else a real apology. [Flisted]

Daily Style & Design News: June 19, 2009

Bradley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:09:17 +0000

DURKL and Sabre clothing (two of the more fun brands on this Internet) are teaming up on a $96 pair of sunglasses. They’re having a party for them next Friday if you want to try and get them for free though. [DURKL]

New collection by Heelbruise just linked up. [Slam x Hype]

Plan B. (Skateboards) is teaming up with Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (Rapper). [Rad Collector]

Reebok takes inspiration from 7 deadly sins, just in time for the first day of summer (Sunday). [High Snobiety]

Happy 25th birthday, Lomo cam. [The Moment]

Two books detailing everything you ever wanted to know about becoming Hiroshi Fujiwara in fashion, design, and attitude. Kev, we see you. [Slam x Hype]

Commonwealth x Reebok Pump Omni Lite

Joe — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:08:28 +0000

The VA dudes are back at it, and we’re not talking about the Clipse. This summer, Commonwealth re-ups with Reebok on a Pump Omni Lite, after the first collab back in 2007 sold out with the quickness. The sea-foam colorway will drop this August, just in time for you kill it during the late summer season. Cop when they release or expect to pay a lot more later.
$120, www.commonwealth.com

Street Detail: The Transformer

frederickm — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:40:52 +0000

NAME: Christian

AGE: 16

OCCUPATION: Student

HOME BASE: Minneapolis, MN

SHIRT: Hanes

HOODY: 10 DEEP

JEANS: Levi’s

SNEAKERS: Reebok

Who inspires your style? Musicians that have different types of style.

What movie best captures your style? Transformers! Everyday it seems as if my style ‘transforms’ into something completely different.

Who has whack style? Soulja Boy. Tall Tees and Bapes are out, but I don’t think he realizes that.

Last clothing item you purchased? A $130 Buffalo jacket.

Most money you ever spent on a single item of clothing? $160 on a pair of 7 For All Mankind jeans.

What is your favorite brand? Levi’s. There is always a perfect pair of Levi’s that go with an outfit.

What is your favorite tech gadget? The iPod Touch. The number of applications keeps me busy during school.

Vote on whether this week’s subject is “Stylin” or “Wildin” below…

What do you see as the next big trend? Acid washed jeans just like in the past.

What is your dream job? Doctor! That way I can make more money to advance my style.

What is your dream date? Shawn Johnson. She’s gorgeous and she’s my age so I think I got a chance.

Last book read? The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.

What is your trend proof style advice for our readers? Swag should come to you. Don’t try to force yourself to look good and make it seem like your trying to hard. You’ll know what looks good on you.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Want to be featured in our weekly Street Detail blog? Email a head-to-toe picture of yourself to: streetdetail@complex.com

Daily Style & Design News: March 20, 2009

Joe — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:57:52 +0000

Stussy is paying homage to great minds like Einstein, Shakespeare and Sigmund Freud through a series of colorful t-shirts. [Hypebeast]

How do you make cool even cooler? Get KAWS to do the back pocket of your jeans. [Highsnobiety]

Reebok gets prepped for the 4th of July with this Stars & Stripes Superhero pack. [KicksOnFire]

These Bless Duo Fringe sunglasses are the craziest things we've seen shutter shades. [Kanye's Blog]

A cardboard office? Awesome. [Like Cool]

Let Ariel Meredith Shine

Joe — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:46:13 +0000

Bar Rafaeli may be stealing all the other swimsuit models’ buzz, but hotties like Ariel Meredith shouldn’t be overlooked. [Bastardly]

What's green, bites people and shoots off electricity to kill its enemies? [www.streetfighter.com]

Killa Cam continues to spill the beans to Miss Info. Scoop alert! [Miss Info]

Sometimes Hooters girls are way too proud of themselves. [DoubleViking]

New colorways of the Ex-O-Fit have hit the net. Check the green and browns.
[Nice Kicks]

Reebok x Karmaloop Ventilators

Joe — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:26:35 +0000

Rather than have some MySpace superstar customize their sneakers, Reebok offered three different boutiques the chance to go in the lab and design some low-run kicks.

Boston-based Karmaloop took a crack at designing two Ventilators, and came out with two unique models called The Purple Heart and The Blue Blood. Both sneakers are limited to 60 pairs each, and just became available online. Cop
'em for $115 HERE.

Daily Style & Design News: January 7, 2009

Bradley — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:43:05 +0000

How much for the corner on 45th and 7th ave? After all these years KAWS gets up on Times Square. Big ups to Kanye and the Def Jam bunch. [Honeyee]

American Rag x Puma satin First Rounds. American Rag, that’s the period company, right? [High Snobiety]

Design product of the year goes to…the toilet scale! Awesome. [Gizmodo]

Apple just dropped the 17-inch Macbook Pro. It’s a little pricey, but if you need to Photoshop it up on the road, go nuts! [Apple]

We haven’t seen the gray/blue Air Yeez-we mean Reebok Exo-Fit His yet. Dope! [Hypebeast]

Reebok x Kidz in the Hall SK 7000s

Joe — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:55:32 +0000

Following in the footsteps of 50 Cent, S.Dot, Lupe, Wayne, and other rappers (MIKE JONESSSS), Kids in the Hall are the latest rap act to get down with Reebok. In March, two colorways of these SK 7000s will launch at Foot Locker, as part of the vector's “Classic Re-Mix” collection.

Besides the sneakers, Kidz In The Hall will be re-mixing a track specifically for the program that will be given away for free once you buy a pair of the SK 7000s. Check the grey/white/red colorup below…
$70,www.reebok.com

Orchard Street For Reebok

Joe — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:09:29 +0000

This month, Reebok cashes in on NYC-based clothing label Orchard Street's cred, with a capsule collection that includes two pairs of sneakers and two hoodies that you can play matchy-match with. Pictured above is OS's take on the Pump Omni Hex Ride, and after the jump you can see the full pack that includes the Reebok Re-Up. Check for the 4-piece range to hit top RBK retailers on December 15.

Reebok UNDFTD Instapump Furys

Bradley — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:41:36 +0000

There were some quick leaks of the new UNDFTD x Reebok Instapump Furys a few weeks back, but we just got the go ahead to show you some real photos of the sneakers, appearing in Complex’s Dec/Jan issue, and dropping early December.

These puppies will set you back $150 at UNDFTD locations, so stay tuned for the exact drop date. See more angles below…

Reebok Scrimmage Low

Joe — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:33:49 +0000

Back in the 90s, Barry Sanders and Emmit Smith were breaking tackles during the preseason in this Reebok Scrimmage Low. RBK's new ground assault has been focused on retro trainers that popped off over a decade ago. You can cop these red and blacks right now on Eastbay.
$75, www.reebok.com

Reebok Pay Dirt Pump

Joe — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:41:20 +0000

Cross trainers barely get burn in the sneaker game, but this fall Reebok's trying to make retro-tech pop off. Bootleg pics of these Pump Pay Dirts hit back in April when RBK execs were pushing to get these made, and thanks to internet buzz, they made it out of the lab. Look for these 1992 throwbacks at retailers next month.
$95, www.reebok.com

Reebok ERS 2000

Joe — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:56:21 +0000

This fall Reebok is re-interpreting classics like this ERS 2000, as well as bunch of PayDirt's, that'll have you on the throwback tip.

Whether you're directing traffic, or easy chicks to your apartment, these old-school runners will get the job done. Check them for at Reebok retailers next month.

$75,reebok.com

Get Past Ashley Alexandra Dupre’s Past

Joe — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:28:28 +0000

Lets be honest, if we didn't know Ashley Alexandra Dupre's backstory as a whore, she'd definitely catch it. [Drunken Stepfather]

Curtis is talking extra greasy about putting a price on Fat Joe's head. [Nah Right]

The Reebok Sir Jam, is like the Reverse Jam, with some tweaking. [Nice Kicks]

Consider this the most embarrassing rescue ever. [Asylum]

This is the dopest waterslide we've ever seen. [Double Viking]

Reebok ‘Purple Haze’ Pack

Joe — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:27:07 +0000

Reebok took inspiration from Jimi Hendrix’s kush-smoking anthem “Purple Haze” and pumped out a two-pack of Court Victory Pumps (the blue colorway after the jump didn't channel Hendrix) that will drop this fall. The piffed-out uppers are made from the richest suede RBK's used in recent years and we're thinking the purple joints may be enough to entice Killah Cam to finally come out of hiding. Check for these at select Reebok retailers on September 1st. No seeds, no sticks, snitches.
$119, www.reebok.com

Reebok Training Day Court Victory Pump

Joe — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:22:45 +0000

Expect Reebok to bring out the flash this spring, starting with these fiery Court Victory Pumps. Rumored to be part of a “Training Day” pack (more on that later) the orange and yellow blazed sneakers will kick off a season that will bring on hot-pink Reverse Jams, and more flashy pumps. Stunting in the Rucker? Tell Bobbito we said what up after you cross him over.
4/08, $124.99, Training Camp Stores