Reebok To Relaunch Reebok Pumps Shoe During NBA All-Star Weekend

Article written by: Rodrick Rainey
Posted on: February 20, 2005

In 1989, Reebok introduced the original performance shoe with the Pump technology and within four years sold more than 20 million pairs. This weekend at the 2005 NBA All- Star Game, Reebok will unveil the ATR Pump (Above the Rim) performance basketball shoe, a futuristic modern-day twist of the original Pump shoe Dee Brown wore to win the Slam-Dunk Contest back in 1991. NBA players and consumers all over the country will once again “pump up” their Reebok footwear before hitting the hardwood, blacktop or playground.

Reebok will unveil the ATR Pump during a weekend of activities in Denver. Eastern Conference All-Star starter, Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers), and Western Conference All-Star starter Yao Ming (Houston Rockets), will showcase the future of athletic footwear in front of a worldwide audience, when they lace up the very first ATR Pump shoes before tip-off of the 2005 NBA All-Star Game on TNT at 8 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. MT.

To kick-off the NBA All-Star Game weekend, Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will bring together a few of his celebrity friends from the NBA and NFL to dazzle and amaze some local Denver kids with an astonishing display of basketball skills. Martin, along with Brown and NFL stars Roy Williams (Dallas Cowboys) and Kevin Jones (Detroit Lions), will play the first ever game of P-U-M-P on Thursday, February 17th at the Denver Athletic Club. P-U- M-P is similar to the playground game of H-O-R-S-E, where one player will attempt a trick shot and if it is made, another player will have to match it. The first player to spell out the word “Pump” loses and the last man standing wins.

How Does it Work?

The ATR Pump is inflated manually by pressing the ball located on the outer ankle area of the shoe. The shoe can be inflated until it reaches the athlete’s perfect custom fit. Subsequently, the pressure can be released to loosen the fit as the valve is held down. The ATR Pump also features a herringbone, high abrasion outsole for traction and durability, a sculpted EVA midsole for lightweight comfort and ankle strap closure for support.

In conjunction with the launch of the ATR Pump, Reebok will initiate an aggressive marketing campaign including online, out-of-home billboards, radio, print ads in key publications and television spots that will run throughout NBA All-Star Weekend. The “I Pump” ads promoting the return of the ATR Pump shoes will feature the sneaker talking in first person with such phrases as “I’ll fit you like old school Kiki Vandeweghe shorts,” a reference to the Denver Nuggets general manager and the snug fit of NBA shorts during Vandeweghe’s playing days. The ATR Pump has a unique sense of humor in the ads when describing the relationship between the shoe and a consumer’s foot saying “I’ll hold you so close your girl is gonna get jealous.” ATR Pump billboards can currently be see around Denver and will be popping up in additional NBA cities after the 2005 NBA All-Star Game.

From South Beach to the Big Apple to Hollywood, many of today’s top NBA stars will be inflating their Reebok shoes before tip-off for the remainder of the 2005 NBA season. The mid-cut performance basketball shoe, featuring the Pump technology for custom fit, will be seen on the feet of Reebok ATR athletes including Steve Francis (Orlando Magic), Baron Davis (New Orleans Hornets), Shaun Livingston (Los Angeles Clippers) and Jerome Williams (New York Knicks).

The ATR Pump is currently available in stores in white/royal/red, black/black and white/Reebok navy colorways for a suggested retail price of $100.

Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Canton, MA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of sports, fitness and casual footwear, apparel and equipment under the Reebok, Rockport, CCM, KOHO, JOFA and Greg Norman Brands and footwear under the Polo Ralph Lauren Brand. Sales for 2004 totaled approximately $3.8 billion.

Also, Reebok, the exclusive uniform supplier of the NBA, will introduce a new line of NBA swingman argyle jerseys outfitted for the celebrities.