Twenty years after the East surged to an upset victory at the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, Reebok is honoring the winning team’s MVP player, Allen Iverson, with a special release of his Question Mid silhouette.
At a post-game press conference, Iverson, who scored 15 of his 25 points in the final quarter to help his team overcome a substantial late-game deficit, said, “coming into the fourth quarter, we were all sitting on the sideline saying ‘Why not us? Why can’t we be the one to come back from a 19-point deficit in an All-Star game?’”
Two decades later, Reebok is celebrating that mentality with the release of the Question Mid “Why Not Us.”
The sneaker brings back the design Iverson wore during the 2001 exhibition and Reebok subsequently released five years later as the Question Mid “Black Toe.” Sporting a classic all-white leather atop a translucent black outsole, it includes the original’s high-contrast black toe box, the “Reebok” wordmark and Vector logos running up the ghillie lacing system and embroidered “3” and “Question” logos at the heel. The words “Why not us?” can be found printed on the inside of the tongue.
The Question Mid “Why Not Us?” will release globally in full-family sizing on Reebok’s website and at select local retailers March 19.
Reebok released a short, animated video Thursday to accompany the upcoming footwear drop. The 58-second film, narrated by Iverson and illustrated by Kellen Hatanaka, honors young athletes who defy societal expectations through their passion for sport.
Related Stories
The short alludes to several groups in particular, including the Drew Charter Boys Golf Program, the first all-Black high school golf team and the first public school team in Atlanta to win the state golf championship; two teen ballerinas, Kennedy George and Ava Holloway, who recently went viral and started work on a mentorship program for girls; and Benny’s Club, an all-inclusive surf collective based in New York City.
Though Iverson left professional basketball a decade ago, Reebok has continued to regularly release new designs of his Question Mid silhouette.
In December, the footwear brand released the red-and-black Question Mid “Street Sleigh.” One of the debut sneaker styles from Reebok’s I3 Motorsports campaign, the design drew inspiration from ATVs and dirt bikes, channeling their high-contrast matte and gloss detailing. The drop also ushered in a new Iverson Apparel range, showcasing historic images captured by longtime Iverson photographer Gary Land, among other graphic designs.
Reebok released two new Question Mid colorways in November and December as part of a collection paying homage to NBA teams’ alternate uniforms. The Question Mid “Black/Gold,” with an old-school black, beige and red color blocking, commemorated Iverson’s revamped team look from ’97, when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Question Mid “Yellow Toe,” meanwhile, called back to the Los Angeles Lakers’ all-white alternates typically worn on Sundays and for holiday games.
Reebok mixes New York heritage and London youth culture
Reebok released its second collection with New York City streetwear brand and recent Levi’s collaborator Awake NY Thursday.
Arriving one year after their first collaboration, the pair’s SS21 launch features two classic Reebok silhouettes, the Club C and Classic Leather. The chalk-colored shoes bear snake accents, as well as the Awake signature motif on the back heel, tongue label and sockliner.
Awake founder Angelo Baque said the aim was to “design something that felt like New York heritage, but that also acknowledges London youth culture.”
The SS21 Reebok x Awake collection dropped Thursday on Awake’s website and became available worldwide Saturday on Reebok’s online store.
Collina Strada collab reminds wearers to ‘Call Mom’
Reebok will debut a collaboration with another New York City brand in a few weeks.
The “Call Mom” capsule, designed with the social issues/awareness platform and fashion brand Collina Strada, puts a colorful twist on Reebok’s Classic Leather and Classic Leather Legacy silhouettes. The former overlays green and blue brush strokes on a white upper and sole. The Classic Leather Legacy, meanwhile, comes in black with lilac strokes on top. Both don a “Call Mom” detail written on the heel and Collina Strada logo in the window box.
Collina Strada founder Hillary Taymour said the inspiration behind the collection came years ago during one of her shows.
“I was so busy, I kept forgetting to call my mom back,” Taymour said in a statement. “I had notes all around my apartment to ‘Call Mom’ and then it just stuck.”
The collection, arriving March 31 on Collina Strada’s website and April 2 on Reebok’s online store, made its public debut last month during New York Fashion Week. It marks the first collaboration between the two brands and serves as an introduction to a series of designs to be revealed in future seasons, Reebok said.