It was two years ago when all this started. Reebok wanted to reconnect with the street, bring back the flavor that had them on top of the sneaker game for so long. They needed flair. They needed personality. Above all else, they needed authenticity. Hip-hop icon Swizz Beatz was brought on to oversee the movement. Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson were brought on to headline the movement. Now, they’re definitely back and bigger than ever.
2013 is already shaping up to be one of the biggest years yet for Reebok. It seems like every few weeks, they’re hitting us with unbelievable re-releases of past classics, and while the calendar year is barely halfway over, we figured now was as good a time as any to celebrate that.
[RELATED: Reebok Classic – Now & Then With The Answer IV]
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10. REEBOK “WHITES COLLECTION”
Dropping just in time for summer in late March, the “Whites Collection” featured a plethora of options for any sneakerhead getting ready for the year’s hottest months. All-white versions of the Question Low, Workout Plus, Classic Leather, Workout Mid, Twilight Zone Pump, ExoFit Hi, Phase 1 and DMX 10 gave fans the option to go with Reebok whether they were playing ball, working out or just chilling at a cookout. At prices ranging from $65-$120, they were also affordable.
To add a little spice to the release, Reebok Classic and Rick Ross hosted a star-studded event at LIV in Miami. Celebrities like Meek Mill, Wale, Stalley, Jim Jones, Ace Hood, Cool and Dre, Omarion, super producers The Runners, and LeBron James showed up, while Ross, Ace Hood, Jim Jones, Stalley, Meek Mill and Omarion rocked the club with performances.
9. REEBOK “PATRIOT PACK”
With the Fourth of July being so synonymous with red, white and blue, you’d think more folks in the industry would capitalize off that need to celebrate our nation’s colors. Reebok Classic did that this year, though, coming out with the tremendous “Patriot Pack.” While a navy-themed version of Allen Iverson’s Question Low was the headliner, the pack also featured classics like Dominique Wilkins‘ Pump Twilight Zone, looking incredible in a vibrant-red base.
The pack dropped at the end of June and will be remembered as one of the highlights of the summer of 2013.
8. REEBOK CLASSIC SCRIMMAGE MID
Reebok Classic has never just been about basketball. Remember their sneaker with Emmitt Smith? You better, because it’s one of the best cross trainers to release this year. Hitting the streets in three distinctly different colors (our personal favorite had to be the Miami Dolphins-inspired colorway), the Reebok Classic Scrimmage Mid came back to life on April 12.
The trainer featured a molded midfoot strap, a PVC heel counter for support and Hexalite technology underfoot for cushioning, making it a must-have for any athlete.
7. REEBOK QUESTION/ANSWER IV “GEORGETOWN PACK”
Everyone knows what Allen Iverson and Reebok represented together. For basically a decade, they helped rule the sneaker game, combining street attitude with precision and style. Together, they created two of the sickest sneakers of the past 15 years: the Question and the Answer IV.
Both have specific places in our hearts – the Question for being the shoe AI wore when he crossed up Michael Jordan, the IV being the shoe Iverson wore when he carried Philly to the 2001 NBA Finals – and both are easy to rock on and off the court.
On March 8, Reebok Classic went way back, releasing Georgetown-themed colorways of both shoes to celebrate the Answer’s college roots.
6. REEBOK KAMIKAZE II MID
When you reminisce on Shawn Kemp, a few things come to mind: out-of-this-world hops, Gary Payton lobs, the Seattle Supersonics… and the Kamikazes.
Reebok Classic re-released this spectacular shoe just a few weeks into January, and it was so popular they later came with more colorways. But it was the iconic white/black/rivet green colorway that really earned the sneaker a spot on this list. At just $100, they were affordable too.
5. REEBOK PUMP OMNI LITE
If you don’t know about this sneaker or the Pump or Dee Brown or the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, then it’s time for you to hand in your “basketball” man card.
Brown memorably wore these when he took home the dunk title, pumping them up to give him the extra boost he needed to complete a no-look slam. On June 14, they returned, causing a frenzy among real hoopheads.
4. REEBOK SHAQ ATTAQ
To say Shaquille O’Neal was excited to see his first signature shoe re-released is an understatement. He came out to Las Vegas for the media launch, and talked sneakers with the assorted writers and bloggers for hours. This shoe was one of his best, and he had a large part in creating the futuristic look and the sleek design.
They say big guys can’t sell sneakers, but Shaq did with this one, even bringing together some of the NBA’s center legends for an awesome commercial.
“My whole thought process when I was helping design them I wanted to create something that was futuristic,” he told me in Las Vegas. “If you look at this cosmic blue, you know this shit wasn’t out in ’92. So when we first did them, there were a lot of people in the upstairs office that were like ‘Shit ain’t gonna sell.’ A lot of times we had a lot of fights with them, but I had to try to get them to see in the future.”
3. REEBOK CLASSIC LEATHER WHITES
Reebok’s iconic Classic Leather celebrated its 30th birthday this year, so it was only appropriate they brought back the crisp, fresh look.
It was a perfect shoe for the summer months, and is one of those lifestyle designs that can go with jeans or shorts. That versatility has already made it a favorite among the old school and new age celebrities. From back in the day legends like Doug E. Fresh to some of the biggest rising stars of today like Travi$ Scott, Ace Hood, Kirko Bangz, Trips N’ Slim, Vado, Vinnie Cha$e, you can’t go wrong with some white-on-white Classic Leather.
2. REEBOK ANSWER I
After the initial wave of Allen Iverson re-releases, which gave us classics like the Answer IV and the Question, there was only one other shoe the public was screaming for. The first Answer, which starred with AI in one of the coolest ad campaigns, needed to come back. The Iverson fans clamored for it, in part because it’s more of an underground classic than some of Allen Iverson’s other famous sneakers.
With unbelievable support and comfort, the shoe featured Reebok’s DMX 10 moving air technology, and became iconic because of its concealed lace system and introduction of Iverson’s signature logo. These dropped in late May for $150.
1. REEBOK SHAQNOSIS
While Allen Iverson represented the epitome of Reebok Classic street culture, the Shaqnosis sports Reebok’s most memorable sneaker design. Even more so than the Shaq Attaq, this shoe was brash, in-your-face and loud. O’Neal told me he named it because after staring at it for a few moments, the sneaker put the fix on him. It straight hypnotized him.
O’Neal wanted a sneaker that embraced his larger-than-life persona, and didn’t mind if some people didn’t like it. In fact, he expected it with a sneaker like the Shaqnosis. Well, ironically, it was so sick that pretty much everyone loved it. If you disliked this shoe coming up, you were probably a style-less fool.
This leather shoe didn’t feature the infamous Pump. It didn’t even need to, even in 1995, still becoming one of O’Neal’s favorite sneakers ever. O’Neal also marked the landmark occasion and the July 12 release by coming to Harlem’s Rucker Park and reconnecting to the street.
What have been Reebok Classic’s best sneaker releases in 2013?
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