The Reebok Pump revolutionized the sneaker industry by introducing inflatable technology that provided better ankle support and fit. Reebok raced against Nike to release their version first, with Reebok’s self-inflating shoe gaining an edge over Nike’s attachable pump system.
NBA endorsements, including Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown‘s iconic slam dunk performance, propelled the Pump’s popularity. The shoe’s success led to cultural prominence and appearances in music videos, movies, and TV, even dethroning Nike in the sneaker wars for many years. Air bladder technology refined for optimal ankle support evidently fit exactly what the zeitgeist called for, with a little help from Brown and the NBA.
To hear the tale of Reebok Pumps and how Brown gave them a boost, take a look at the clip embedded below to see the video short put together by the folks behind the Weird History YouTube channel.
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