25 Classic Sneakers From Vintage Eastbay Catalogs

Image via Complex Original

Year: 1998

The adidas EQT Elevation finally began its comeback this fall. And if you don't have memories of a young Kobe Bryant flying through the air in these, you best get to doing your (Youtube) homework. Even the judges were jockin' (and hatin') the purple adidas back in the day!

Year: 1997

This scan is a gold mine of heat from back in the day but the Nike Air CB 4 "97" stands out the most because it's something you don't see very often at all. In fact, some people may have never seen this Charles Barkley signature sneaker, ever. You're welcome.

Year: 1998

File this one under "names we can't believed happen but still think are awesome in a really weird way." But how could we not include this scan from 1998 that included great names like the Vroomlicious, Jamgasmic, Immensely Sleek and Illegaly Strong silhouettes?

Year: 1994

The Air Go LWP is one of the few sneakers that could be competitive today in performance review comparisons. Even though these retroed a couple years ago, the colorways from this catalog scan remain coveted by most sneakerheads that hooped (or attempted to) in 1994.

Year: 1994

If you were one of the many sneakerheads living on the budget restraints of your parents in the early '90s, you ended up with non-Visible Air Nikes. No matter how hard you tried to explain that the seeing the Air made all the difference in the world at school, it was no use. Now, you appreciate a sneaker like the Air Tenacity because at $75, you'd be happy to cop a pair.

Year: 1996

Jerome Bettis was a beast. Or rather, a BUS. Not many shoes could have handled Bettis and not many defenders could either. The Total Air Bus Max is a man's sneaker.

Year: 1998

Fila has made a strong comeback this year and we couldn't be more pleased to see them back in the discussion. But the Grant Hill IV, we NEED these. Oh, and those socks too.

Year: 1998

We talk about the Zoom JST a lot but Michael Johnson's JSC track spikes were the ones he got it done in. We haven't seen anyone get excited about track spikes on the level they were with these ever since.

Year: 1995

Dear God, 1995 was awesome. Flight Ones, Penny 1s, Air Wayups, and that's not even getting out of the shoes Penny Hardaway was wearing. Remember this was an era that produced the Air Jordan XI just a few months later and signature sneakers were being handed out by the dozen. No wonder all us old folks keep buying retros.

Year: 2000

The Nike Presto is for 2000 what the Roshe Run is for 2012. The most comfortable shoe you've ever tried on and completely outside the box thinking that has you in disbelief that you are even wearing such a simple shoe. Nike stays winning. Then they repeat themselves. Nobody does it better.

Year: 1996

Clearly the Dunkmob Mid should be on the "soon to be retroed list" (hint hint, Reebok Classics). But there are a few interesting things to note about this Eastbay catalog page from 1996. It was one of the first times Shaq was marked with a trademark. A sign of things to come, it seems. Second, the Dunkmob weighed in at over 20 ounces and was considered lightweight, clearly things have changed. And last but not least, Reebok, size 13 Triple Deuce Mid in grey, black and white. Please.

Year: 2001

Love it or hate it, the adidas The Kobe was a game changer. As you can see, it was clearly based on its ties to automotive design. What other shoe had a front grill and a rear spoiler? What's interesting about looking back at this cataolog scan of one of Kobe Bryant's most unforgettable sneakers, is that it was really one of the first times that adidas put their designer in the public spotlight for a new release.

Year: 1994

ACG was huge in the '90s. It was like everyone wanted to be that fun-loving outdoorsy guy and look like they were dressed like Method Man for a rain storm all in one fit. All Conditions Gear, yo. Like these slip-on Nike Air Mocs, what.

Year: 1996

And you thought outrageously high basketball shoes were a new thing? Think again. Despite the fact that everyone remembers the smoothness of the Fila Grant Hill II aka the 96, Fila had plenty of other options for other players. Grant Hill may have outshined them in the long run but flip through some old Eastbay catalogs and you will find some gems.

Year: 1997

Take downs were how most aspiring sneakerheads survived the late '90s. Most parents weren't comfortable spending $100+ on a pair of sneakers their kids were going to destroy on the playground. In fact, $30-40 on a pair of kicks once a year was more the standard. So even the non-signature sneakers like the Zoom Diamond weren't making it into your closet until they hit clearance racks the following season.

Year: 2002

Streetwear in the early '00s was out of control. Dada Supreme, or Dada, was one of the few companies that rode the trend to mainstream success thanks to their partnership with Chris Webber (and Latrell Sprewell). CDubbz even made a return this year complete with woodgrain paneling. Boss.

Year: 1994

We recently mentioned the Converse Sky Rider on our signature sneakers that need to be retroed feature but that won't stop us from drooling over them again. Or the Converse Backjam or Destroyer, for that matter. Converse was killing it in the early '90s with their React Juice and we'd love to see them retro many of these models but in this day in age, you might not even be able to get these past airport security.

Year: 1998

Sure you copped the Gloves this past weekend, but how many of these other Nike b-ball joints do you have? Just look at all this - the first Foamposite Pros. the Pippen II, the Penny III, and that white/Carolina Uptempo. That's not even getting into the Jordans, including three colorways of the Air Jordan XII. (Obsidians for $5 less than black/red? Sure.)

Year: 1995

Looking back at this full page of Ewing Athletics releases brings back some memories for some but also shows just how serious the Ewing sneaker line was. Considering that the Ewing Prizm isn't even listed on the Ewing Athletics history page, it's clear there is a lot of room to dig through the storied past of the brand still. Not to metion, those Asphalt Mids look like they were designed for an army. Sign us up for those retros as well.

Year: 1996

The Air More Uptempo is legendary. It was essentially Nike saying. Fuck everybody. We got AIR. And if you weren't ballin' hard, you went with the less expensive Air Much Uptempo. But if you were anybody back in the day, you copped those Nike Big Butt Shorts. Nah, kidding. Who came up with that name, though?

Year: 1998

Not only was the Air Max 98 running shoe one of the dopest sneakers of its day, it had incredibly tough competition. The Air Perseus, Triax and Tailwind models that released in 1998 are straight up fire. Not to mention, the Air Max 1995 was still being produced. This catalog scan is like wishlist for retros we want to see happen.

Year: 1997

Baseball shoes were never really major players, with Ken Griffey Jr.'s line being the main exception. But take a look at this page, which featured Griffey's shoe most prominently, followed by Hideo Nomo's, and, at the bottom, Kenny Lofton's trainer. What makes it particularly cool is that the Air Max versions of Griffey's and Nomo's shoes are shown right next to their metal spikes, giving much-needed context to the off-field shoes.

Year: 1996

Think major companies producing skate shoes is something new? Think again. Peep this Eastbay skate page from 1996, featuring multiple offerings from adidas, Nike (including the unfortunately named Air Choad) and Puma. But the focus here is on the Airwalk One, available in multiple colors to "trade with your friends." Did anyone actually do that?

Year: 1996

adidas is killing it in skate these days with the Busenitz and Lucas lines, but it's good to remember that success didn't come overnight. They've been involved in action sports for nearly 20 years now, when they first made a signature shoe for BMX pro Dave Mirra. There are a lot of other jewels on that page as well, just waiting for their retro moment. "Casual," though?

Year: 1998

Converse truly went in back in the mid- to late-90s, turning out a dizzying number of mid-cut basketball shoes loosely based on the iconic Chuck Taylor, most of which can be seen here. The All-Star 2000 was a bargain at $40, but the real banger was the All Star Rodman, which combined the Chuck Taylor patch with some of Rodman's own tattoo detail. The Worm would win his second ring in Chicago while wearing these, which makes a retro seem like a natural fit.