Tag: sneakerheads

How Boston alum Dee Brown helped make Reebok Pumps famous

NBA endorsements, including Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown’s iconic slam dunk performance, propelled the Pump’s popularity.

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.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Jordan Brand on how it makes Jayson Tatum 1s and other signature shoes

The design studio at Jordan Brand creates performance shoes that combine both motion and emotion.

Ever wonder how a pair of Jayson Tatum 1 sneakers gets made by the folks at Nike’s Jordan Brand? The design studio at Jordan Brand creates performance shoes that combine both motion and emotion. They draw inspiration from athlete insights and focus on storytelling.

The brand collaborates with athletes to solve design challenges. The designers incorporate personal details from athletes such as Tatum and Zion Williamson and use haptic print technology for strength. Collaboration, innovation and inspiration are key elements of the design process — as are simple questions like ‘What animal would you be if you could be any animal?”

To see for yourself how something like Tatum electing dolphins for his answer translates into the shoes you want to wear.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Can the wrong shoes cause injuries? Famed shooting coach Lethal Shooter says yes

It’s got to be the shoes, to paraphrase Mars Blackmon.

When it comes to training NBA players on how to improve their jumpers, few shooting coaches carry the gravitas that legendary NBA shooting coach Lethal Shooter possesses. Lethal Shooter emphasizes the significance of correct footwork and guide hand placement for effective shooting, honing in on a player’s lazy shooting form and highlighting the importance of proper technique.

But it might surprise you to know that the legendary shooting coach also believes that using the proper footwear is also critical not only to a players’ shooting technique on the court, can also his ability to prevent injuries.

Lethal Shooter dived into the relationship between shoes and player performance at the NBA level on a recent episode of the Complex “Full Size Run” podcast.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear what he had to say about kicks, shots, and success.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Jordan Brand announces four new colorways of the Jayson Tatum 1 line

Take a peek at how they look — and feel free to vote on your favorite.

The Jordan Brand signature Jayson Tatum 1 line of Nike sneakers has officially announced a new set of colorways for the popular NBA kicks per new reporting from Complex’ Brandon Richard, with the new crop of four signature sneakers that reflect the Boston Celtics star’s personal life as did the initial four colorways. The first of the four, dubbed “Old School,” will be released on July 15 of this year and reflects Tatum’s fandom of American automobiles.

The next, dubbed “Denim” for a fashion favorite of Tatum, comes out on August 10. The “Wave Runner” colorway, due out on October 20, is a nod for he and Deuce Tatum’s love for water sports, and the “Cool Grey” colorway is a nod to the Air Jordan 11s, the Duke alum’s favorite all-time sneaker.

Let’s take a peek at how they look — and feel free to vote on your favorite in the poll below.

Let the Shoe Wars Begin: Dee Brown on his, Michael Jordan’s role in early sneaker culture

Hear what Brown had to say about his role in helping start the so-called shoe wars and more.

Legendary Boston Celtics dunk champion Dee Brown was so much more than a high-flying novelty act on the basketball court.

Of course, his aerial proclivities certainly did not hurt his career as an NBA player. His high-flying skills opened doors to him that left Brown with tales for the ages, like the time he met His Airness Michael Jordan at a party after a dunk contest.

In a recent interview with Los Angeles Lakers icon Michael Cooper, the Jacksonville native talks about Michael Jordan’s ultra-competitive nature and how he wanted to win on and off the court, how his dunk contest victory with Reebok Pumps affected Jordan, as it put a dent in his Nike endorsement, and more.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what Brown had to say about his role in helping start the so-called shoe wars and more in the video embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston legend Larry Bird could ball, but did you know he also rapped?

If there was any doubt as to why Larry Legend did not eschew a career on the court for one on the stage, this might be the best evidence we have to settle such a question.

When it comes to the Hick From French Lick (as Boston Celtics Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird was affectionately known by his fans), very few people stacked up against the all-time great on the basketball court. But fewer today know about Bird’s incredibly brief career as a rap artist.

Yes, you read that right — though we might be stretching the concept of rapper about as far as one can before it ceases to make any sense. In an ad for one of the first sneakers sold with the endorsements of multiple NBA players, the Indiana native dropped some (very awkward) bars to finish the cipher started by lifelong friend and rival Magic Johnson.

“The Converse Weapon, that’s the shoe,” began Johnson. “Lets Magic do what he was born to do.” Detroit Pistons icon Isiah Thomas followed with “Maybe so, but that’s not all. Lets Isiah play like he’s 10 feet tall.”

“For the types of moves that never fail, the Weapon is the choice of Kevin McHale,” countered Bird’s star teammate, with Mark Aguirre and Bernard King dropping some verses before Bird took it home with “You already know what they did for me — I walked away with the MVP.”

If there was any doubt as to why Larry Legend did not eschew a career on the court for one on the stage, this might be the best evidence we have to settle such a question.

But then, very few NBAers have ever made that leap successfully — and fewer still with the level of skill on the court Bird possessed (h/t to Sportscasting’s Mike Thomas).

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston’s Jaylen Brown sports custom sneakers paying homage to Mesoamerican ball game

Associated with the ancestors of today’s indigenous cultures of what is today Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, the Caribbean, and the US Southwest, the sport bears a clear resemblance to basketball.

While the consensus on the origin of the sport of basketball places its origin as a sport to Springfield’s James Naismith, there have been a few competing claims over the decades, such as that of Lambert Will of Herkimer, New York. But if one looks at the general concept of putting a bouncy ball through a hoop, the roots of such sport go much deeper in the history of the Americas.

Ahead of the Boston Celtics’ first round tilt with the Atlanta Hawks, Boston’s Jaylen Brown paid homage to those roots in the form of sneakers painted to raise awareness of the Maya or Mesoamerican ball game as a progenitor of sorts for the sport Brown now plays for a living.

Associated with the ancestors of today’s indigenous cultures of what is today Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, the Caribbean, and the US Southwest, the sport bears a clear resemblance to basketball.

Jaylen Brown dons custom Bill Russell sneakers for Game 1

Jaylen Brown is rocking a pair of green and black sneakers with a photo of Bill Russell for game one of the postseason.

Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown laced up with a very interesting pair of sneakers for Game 1 of the 2023 NBA postseason. Brown wore green and white shoes which featured a photo of Bill Russell, a nice homage to the eleven-time champion.

Russell passed away this summer at the age of 88. Brown, the Celtics, and the entire NBA have honored Russell’s legacy throughout this season, and Russell’s No. 6 was universally retired across the league. Brown’s sneakers are just one of many ways the Georgia native in particular has worked to highlight the life and legacy of one best to ever do it.

Russell was a strong advocate for social justice and racial equality during his playing days and beyond, setting a precedent and culture for the Celtics for years to come. Brown, meanwhile, has been a vocal advocate for social justice and change in the city of Boston and throughout the country since joining the league in 2016.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum gifts the Celtics coaching staff his new signature shoe

The wait for Jayson Tatum’s first signature shoe is officially over.

With Jayson Tatum’s first signature shoe, the “Zoo” colorway of the Tatum 1, finally available for mass purchase, the St. Louis native could be seen sporting the red and black kicks on the court in the Boston Celtics’ penultimate home and regular-season contest against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

But much earlier in the day, the former Duke player did his coaches a major solid, the Nike sneaker was handed out to all of Boston’s coaching staff at the team’s practice facility of Auerbach Center.

The lightest shoe in the Michael Jordan-inspired line of sneakers was well-received by the coaching staff.

Check out the clip embedded below to see Taco Jay handing out his signature kicks for yourself, courtesy of our friends over at CLNS Media.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On Bill Russell, the original sneaker free agent

Decades ago, in the Louisiana native’s prime with Boston in the 1960s, Russell decided to endorse a shoe made right here in New England.

Star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is a sneaker free agent by design, his high standards for what he wants in footwear he would be endorsing with not only his name but also his values make the fit — both literal and metaphorical — critical.

But as is often the case with Brown and the Celtics, the forward-thinking star is following a path blazed long ago by a larger-than-life Boston icon, Hall of Fame Celtics big man Bill Russell. Decades ago, in the Louisiana native’s prime with Boston in the 1960s, Russell decided to endorse a shoe made right here in New England.

And he did it his way, creating a product that extended the life of that shoe company without simply being a transactional renting of Russell’s name and likeness.