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Justin Rivet (NT's dmxfury) Reebok Pump Fury Collection
Launching a new original series, we present CounterKicks Collectors with the collection of hardcore Reebok Pump Fury fan, Justin Rivet. Right in time for the20th Anniversary of Reebok's Pump technology, this is a fitting sneaker stockpile to showcase. Justin shares his story on what the Pump Fury meant to thefootwear industry and, ultimately, what it meant in 1994 to an 11-year-old kid seeing the bright neon colored sneakers for the first time. Continue reading forJustin Rivet's full story and collection photos…
It is very strange the memories that stick with you through life. Sometimes they are momentous occasions (perhaps a wedding, graduation, winning the big game),but then there are the little moments that we keep to ourselves but never forget. Looking back, I may have been a shoe freak long before I was aware of it. Asa kid, I always had some of the cooler shoes, owning a pair of Nike Bo Jackson Air Trainer SCs, Agassi Air Tech Challenges, Jordan VIIs, and some ReebokTwilight Zone Pumps, but never really thought much of it. I do, however, vividly remember the day that I became a "sneaker head" for lack of a betterterm.
It was one of those memories that seem strange to some, but is something I won't forget. It was spring of 1994, and I walked into a local running shoe spot(had to get some new track shoes), and from across the store I saw a pair of bright yellow shoes on some type of cartridge display. Quickly walking over, mymouth dropped open and I was hooked. It was the Reebok Pump Fury. It was like nothing I had ever seen - no laces with a pump, a "hole" in the bottomof the shoe, and the most exotic & bright colors ever seen. I quickly purchased the $125 shoes, of course picking up the Instapump Inflator and some CO2cartridges on the way out. Needless to say, the reaction I got at school the next day was something I had never seen.
Starting with the bus driver opening up the door and uttering "whoa", to the teachers and kids at school wanting to try them on, I quickly realizedthat shoes could almost become an identity for me and a cool one at that. But as I got older, I learned to appreciate just what a homerun Reebok had hit withthe Pump Fury, and how the shoe has seemingly gotten more and more popular with time.
The Reebok Pump was introduced in 1989. It was seemingly an answer to Nike and their huge gains in the market made from their air technology; along with beinga way Reebok could get away from being known as the company with great aerobic shoes, and into a top athletic shoe manufacturer.
The Pump came out with huge fanfare. With top NBA stars endorsing (notably Dominique Wilkins) and an idea that was finally perfected (pump technology had beentried before, but never quite ideal), it is no wonder why the Pump jumpstarted Reebok again. Pump technology propelled Reebok back in the spotlight and led theway for 3-4 years. During this time, Reebok was beginning to develop new technologies to keep up in the "shoe wars" of the 90's. To me, thesetechnologies seem to all come together and were showcased with the Fury. While I have no inside knowledge, it seems that Reebok released the Fury as a way toshow off what they had, with no real intention or thought of the shoe becoming iconic.
First, the laceless upper with the Instapump technology, which used air chambers to keep the foot snug without having the weight of the laces. The differencebetween this pump and the original was that one could manually pump the shoe up or use the newly released CO2 cartridges and canister to quickly inflate theshoes with a burst of air. The pump chamber was combined with a lightweight, mesh upper that was as minimalistic as possible. Along with the laceless upper,the Fury utilized the Graphlite arch bridge. This gave the Fury a unique look, by giving the Fury a platform shoe look due to the removal of 35% of themidsole. The bridge was the main component in making the Fury so lightweight (8.5 oz compared to a "standard" 12-13 oz shoe). Finally, the Fury hadHexalite in the sole to give some solid cushioning to the shoe. All in all, the ultimate shoe for Reebok to show off the progress it had made from the originalrelease of The Pump in 1989. This after all was coming during the age of Nike pushing the envelope, releasing the Huarache line in the running division, andgetting ready to release the Air Max 95. New ideas and designs seemed to be at an all time high in the industry.
The Fury was the shoe to smack Nike right back in the mouth, almost to say 'you're not the only one that has tricks up their sleeve'. As if toconfirm that Reebok wanted to grab everyone's attention with this shoe, it was released in a citron (neon yellow), red and black colorway. You couldn'twear this shoe (or have it in a store) without it being commented on and seen. Whether one loved or hated the shoe was irrelevant. The fact was that theynoticed the shoe, knew who made it, and if nothing else the Fury left an impression. This first generation was also produced in a blue/silver/ black colorway,and the shoe disappeared for a year. That seemed to be it for the Fury, the end of an exciting shoe which did what it was supposed to do for Reebok.
Luckily, this story ends in success, and the Fury did not just disappear in 1994. Reebok went back to the drawing board and made some changes to the Fury thatallowed for both increased durability and customization. The toe of the shoe went from a cloth and felt front to a leather piece, and the Graphlite arch wassmaller in size to reduce the stress and cracking
The year 1996 saw three colors of the "new" Fury released, and with demand staying strong for the shoe, every year seemed to add colorways and"editions" of the shoe. Whether it was a commemorative shoe for a celebrity (Jackie Chan), company (DHL, Fed Ex, Chanel), or year (Y2K shoes), thereseemed to be a model for every occasion, including some related shoes like the Fury Road and Millenniums. It is almost impossible to account for every Furyreleased, but there are easily over 100 models over the years.
The Pump Fury became to Reebok what the Air Jordan is to Nike. That may be a bold statement, but I don't think it is that much of a stretch. It is a shoethat not only identifies with a brand, but can define that brand. I have no doubt that when the Fury was developed and released in '94, there is no waythat even the design team knew just what kind of shoe they developed. It wasn't just a shoe that showed off the technology of the time, it was an iconicimage that will live in the shoe archives for all time. And for an 11 year old kid, it was a moment that will never be forgotten.
-Justin Rivet aka "dmxfury"
Justin Rivet (NT's dmxfury) Reebok Pump Fury Collection
Launching a new original series, we present CounterKicks Collectors with the collection of hardcore Reebok Pump Fury fan, Justin Rivet. Right in time for the20th Anniversary of Reebok's Pump technology, this is a fitting sneaker stockpile to showcase. Justin shares his story on what the Pump Fury meant to thefootwear industry and, ultimately, what it meant in 1994 to an 11-year-old kid seeing the bright neon colored sneakers for the first time. Continue reading forJustin Rivet's full story and collection photos…
It is very strange the memories that stick with you through life. Sometimes they are momentous occasions (perhaps a wedding, graduation, winning the big game),but then there are the little moments that we keep to ourselves but never forget. Looking back, I may have been a shoe freak long before I was aware of it. Asa kid, I always had some of the cooler shoes, owning a pair of Nike Bo Jackson Air Trainer SCs, Agassi Air Tech Challenges, Jordan VIIs, and some ReebokTwilight Zone Pumps, but never really thought much of it. I do, however, vividly remember the day that I became a "sneaker head" for lack of a betterterm.
It was one of those memories that seem strange to some, but is something I won't forget. It was spring of 1994, and I walked into a local running shoe spot(had to get some new track shoes), and from across the store I saw a pair of bright yellow shoes on some type of cartridge display. Quickly walking over, mymouth dropped open and I was hooked. It was the Reebok Pump Fury. It was like nothing I had ever seen - no laces with a pump, a "hole" in the bottomof the shoe, and the most exotic & bright colors ever seen. I quickly purchased the $125 shoes, of course picking up the Instapump Inflator and some CO2cartridges on the way out. Needless to say, the reaction I got at school the next day was something I had never seen.
Starting with the bus driver opening up the door and uttering "whoa", to the teachers and kids at school wanting to try them on, I quickly realizedthat shoes could almost become an identity for me and a cool one at that. But as I got older, I learned to appreciate just what a homerun Reebok had hit withthe Pump Fury, and how the shoe has seemingly gotten more and more popular with time.
The Reebok Pump was introduced in 1989. It was seemingly an answer to Nike and their huge gains in the market made from their air technology; along with beinga way Reebok could get away from being known as the company with great aerobic shoes, and into a top athletic shoe manufacturer.
The Pump came out with huge fanfare. With top NBA stars endorsing (notably Dominique Wilkins) and an idea that was finally perfected (pump technology had beentried before, but never quite ideal), it is no wonder why the Pump jumpstarted Reebok again. Pump technology propelled Reebok back in the spotlight and led theway for 3-4 years. During this time, Reebok was beginning to develop new technologies to keep up in the "shoe wars" of the 90's. To me, thesetechnologies seem to all come together and were showcased with the Fury. While I have no inside knowledge, it seems that Reebok released the Fury as a way toshow off what they had, with no real intention or thought of the shoe becoming iconic.
First, the laceless upper with the Instapump technology, which used air chambers to keep the foot snug without having the weight of the laces. The differencebetween this pump and the original was that one could manually pump the shoe up or use the newly released CO2 cartridges and canister to quickly inflate theshoes with a burst of air. The pump chamber was combined with a lightweight, mesh upper that was as minimalistic as possible. Along with the laceless upper,the Fury utilized the Graphlite arch bridge. This gave the Fury a unique look, by giving the Fury a platform shoe look due to the removal of 35% of themidsole. The bridge was the main component in making the Fury so lightweight (8.5 oz compared to a "standard" 12-13 oz shoe). Finally, the Fury hadHexalite in the sole to give some solid cushioning to the shoe. All in all, the ultimate shoe for Reebok to show off the progress it had made from the originalrelease of The Pump in 1989. This after all was coming during the age of Nike pushing the envelope, releasing the Huarache line in the running division, andgetting ready to release the Air Max 95. New ideas and designs seemed to be at an all time high in the industry.
The Fury was the shoe to smack Nike right back in the mouth, almost to say 'you're not the only one that has tricks up their sleeve'. As if toconfirm that Reebok wanted to grab everyone's attention with this shoe, it was released in a citron (neon yellow), red and black colorway. You couldn'twear this shoe (or have it in a store) without it being commented on and seen. Whether one loved or hated the shoe was irrelevant. The fact was that theynoticed the shoe, knew who made it, and if nothing else the Fury left an impression. This first generation was also produced in a blue/silver/ black colorway,and the shoe disappeared for a year. That seemed to be it for the Fury, the end of an exciting shoe which did what it was supposed to do for Reebok.
Luckily, this story ends in success, and the Fury did not just disappear in 1994. Reebok went back to the drawing board and made some changes to the Fury thatallowed for both increased durability and customization. The toe of the shoe went from a cloth and felt front to a leather piece, and the Graphlite arch wassmaller in size to reduce the stress and cracking
The year 1996 saw three colors of the "new" Fury released, and with demand staying strong for the shoe, every year seemed to add colorways and"editions" of the shoe. Whether it was a commemorative shoe for a celebrity (Jackie Chan), company (DHL, Fed Ex, Chanel), or year (Y2K shoes), thereseemed to be a model for every occasion, including some related shoes like the Fury Road and Millenniums. It is almost impossible to account for every Furyreleased, but there are easily over 100 models over the years.
The Pump Fury became to Reebok what the Air Jordan is to Nike. That may be a bold statement, but I don't think it is that much of a stretch. It is a shoethat not only identifies with a brand, but can define that brand. I have no doubt that when the Fury was developed and released in '94, there is no waythat even the design team knew just what kind of shoe they developed. It wasn't just a shoe that showed off the technology of the time, it was an iconicimage that will live in the shoe archives for all time. And for an 11 year old kid, it was a moment that will never be forgotten.
-Justin Rivet aka "dmxfury"
