Shaq is back!!! Remember these?! The pump! It brings back so many memories!!! Shaq has teamed up with Reebok to relaunch two of his classic 90s-era basketball sneakers: the Classic Shaq Attaq & the Shaqnosis. Of course our guy Swizzy was on hand along with Tyga for the big news.
Check out the details & pics after the jump…
In 1992, Reebok was looking to make the strongest possible statement on the court. At the time, the brand had success with key basketball silhouettes including The Pump, however Reebok desired to make an even bigger, bolder impact.
‘‘What we needed was a larger than life presence, a basketball prodigy that would forever change the game. And, Reebok got just that when we partnered with arguably the most dominant player in the league, Shaquille O’Neal,’’said Reebok’s Vice President of Classic, Basketball and Entertainment, Todd Krinsky.
After partnering with the brand, Shaq went on to become Rookie of the Year and play in two of the most revered basketball shoes of all time — the Shaq Attaq and the Shaqnosis.
Today, at a packed press launch at the Project Trade Show in Las Vegas, Reebok Classic welcomed the legendary Shaq back to the family. Kicking off with Reebok’s Todd Krinsky highlighting 2012 and early ’13 successes including the Iverson collection, Pump bringbacks, Kamikaze, T-Raww and more, Krinsky went on to give credit to Swizz Beatz, Reebok Classic Creative Director who was instrumental in the brand’s return to the main stage.
Longtime, close friend of Shaq from back in his playing days, Swizz knew the time was right to bring back the iconic Reebok Classic Shaq Attaq and Reebok Classic Shaqnosis. Swizz brought Shaq on stage to reminisce about being the first athlete with a signature shoe for Reebok, his days in the league, his first Reebok ad, doing music with Shaq, and more. Swizz and Shaq also talked in depth about the Reebok Classic Shaq Attaq and Reebok Classic Shaqnosis. At the end of the event, Tyga made a special appearance for a photo opp on stage with Swizz and Shaq.
Reebok Classic Shaq Attaq — A highly anticipated bringback from 1992, the Reebok Classic Shaq Attaq drops on April 19th for $160 at key retailers including Jimmy Jazz, Shiekh, Villa, City Gear, DTLR, Shoe Palace, and on Reebok.com.
The legendary Shaq Attaq features Pump technology on the tongue, which gained tremendous equity with players at the time. Providing the ultimate in lightweight technology, the Shaq Attaq features Graphlite. A first of its kind lightweight technology, Graphlite is a plastic, incredibly strong fiber which allowed Reebok to strip away heavy rubber to create a sleeker, lighter silhouette. Graphlite technology keeps the shoe light, while still providing incredible stability. From a design perspective, the Shaq Attaq reflects the brightness of Orlando blue, the silhouette takes color phenomenally and was the perfect bold look for a player like Shaq.
Reebok Classic Shaqnosis — Debuting for the first time in 1995, Reebok Classic is bringing back the Shaqnosis on July 19th for $125 at key retailers including Finish line, Foot Locker, Jimmy Jazz, Shiekh, City Gear, Shoe Palace and on Reebok.com. At the time the Reebok Classic Shaqnosis was created, designers had a strong desire to create a shoe with a truly polarizing look for Shaq, arguably the most visible guy on the court. Reebok knew that the Shaqnosis was a ‘‘love it or hate it’’ model, and the brand fully embraced the controversy the shoe evoked. The energy behind the Shaqnosis was so strong that it led to a spin-off collection called Mobius. The Mobius line played off the Shaqnosis inspired 50/50 black/white split, making it the ideal statement look on the basketball court or baseball field. Other styles in the Mobius collection included The Big Hurt with baseball great Frank Thomas and The Blast with basketball icon Nick Van Exel.
Stay tuned for styles such as these to be brought back by Reebok Classic in the future…
