Has it been 20 years yet? Apparently, yes. Twenty years have now passed since the original Reebok Pump debuted its adjustable fit technology. Sure, pumping air on your shoes still sounds weird, but there’s no more denying how clever the feature is.
To commemorate two decades of the Pump, the company kicked off a year-long celebration beginning November 20, releasing limited edition colorways of the original Reebok Pump from 1989. Don’t expect to walk into your friendly neighborhood sneakerhead hangout to grab a pair, though, as the shoes are only available from select outlets all over the world (full list below).
How exactly does the Pump work? Push on that big embossed ball and activate the air pumping action, which builds a cushion of air that surrounds the shoe, filling all the empty spaces inside it for an exact fit. Conforming to the individual size and shape of your foot, it offered a level of comfort unheard of at the time.
Reebok calls the Pump as “one of the most amazing innovations in footwear…since the shoe lace” and I’ll have to agree. Granted, we made fun of kids who wore pumps back in 1989. What idiot would wear that tacky shoe with a big basketball on top, after all? Perfect fit? Pssshh…just double your socks, you dummy.
Full list of retailers below:
- 24 Kilates (Barcelona)
- atmos (Tokyo)
- Bodega (Boston)
- colette (Paris)
- Commonwealth (Virginia)
- Espionage (Sydney)
- Hanon (Scotland)
- HUF (San Francisco)
- Juice (Hong Kong)
- Kasina (Seoul)
- KICKS/HI (Hawaii)
- Packer Shoes (New Jersey)
- Patta (Amsterdam)
- Saint Alfred (Chicago)
- Size? (London)
- Sneakersnstuff (Stockholm)
- Solebox (Berlin)
- Stolen Riches (Toronto)
- UNDEFEATED (L.A.)
[Pump 20 via Acquire Mag]